Brewer and Shipley was your average early 70's folkie duo who sang about social injustices and such...except for this song. It actually was a bit of a lark... something they threw together backstage before a gig, liked what they did and recorded it. Although they had a couple of other songs on the top 100, this was by far their biggest song.
What is most interesting to me was how it was accepted at the time. There were some, like Vice President Sprio Agnew who condemned them personally as being detrimental to youth culture. Others, because of the use of the name "Jesus" considered it to be a spiritual song. Now....I have never inhaled (no...really....I haven't), but the vast majority of my friends growing up did, and I never remember any of them equating it to a religious experience. Anyway....I have included the two versions of this song. One is the original, and the other is from none other than the version sung on Laurence Welk! If you can't stomach listening to the entire video....I at least encourage you to fast forward to the last 15 seconds which is one of those TV moments you just can't make up.....
What is most interesting to me was how it was accepted at the time. There were some, like Vice President Sprio Agnew who condemned them personally as being detrimental to youth culture. Others, because of the use of the name "Jesus" considered it to be a spiritual song. Now....I have never inhaled (no...really....I haven't), but the vast majority of my friends growing up did, and I never remember any of them equating it to a religious experience. Anyway....I have included the two versions of this song. One is the original, and the other is from none other than the version sung on Laurence Welk! If you can't stomach listening to the entire video....I at least encourage you to fast forward to the last 15 seconds which is one of those TV moments you just can't make up.....
