Because I Got High

This article is about the song. For the album of the same name, see Because I Got High (album).
"Because I Got High"
Single by Afroman
from the album Because I Got High and The Good Times
Released July 30, 2001
Format CD single
Recorded 2000
Genre Comedy hip hop
Length 5:10 (album version)
3:19 (radio version)
Label Columbia, T-Bones
Writer(s) Afroman
Producer(s) Afroman, Headfridge
Afroman singles chronology
"Because I Got High"
(2001)		 "Crazy Rap"
(2001)
Music sample
"Because I Got High"

"Because I Got High" is a song by American rapper Afroman from his album of the same name. The lyrics of the song describe how cannabis use is degrading the narrator's quality of life. The song, which was written in only a few minutes, rose from obscurity to popularity after it was circulated around the Internet and was featured on The Howard Stern Show.

Overview

The song explains how the narrator has forgotten to clean his room, failed his college class (which he plans to take next semester), sold kush (after losing his job), missed court dates, had his paycheck garnished due to missed child support payments, gambled away his car payment, is left masturbating after not having sex with his girlfriend, became a paraplegic as the result of a police chase, lost his family (including his wife and children), had messed up his "entire life", and is now homeless "because [he] got high" – he ultimately decides to end the song, and states that he is "singing the whole thing wrong, because [he is] high". After this, Afroman mentions his name and birthplace (East Palmdale), says the tumbleweed he smokes is "bomb as hell" and then says he does not believe in Hitler (this line is actually an interpolation of John Lennon's song "God"). The music video was directed by Kevin Smith and featured Jay and Silent Bob smoking with Afroman, a cameo by 'Beer Man' as well as a glimpse of the Quick Stop where Clerks was filmed.

Reception

Afroman released his album Because I Got High in 2000; he distributed it mainly through concerts. The title track was soon posted on file-sharing service Napster and made it to The Howard Stern Show.[1] This song was the theme song of the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back[2] and was later featured in the films Disturbia, A Thousand Words, and The Perfect Score.

In December 2001, a Connecticut teenager named Matthew Fournier was ordered to listen to the song and write a report about it as punishment for possession of marijuana.[3] After the success of this single, Afroman was signed to Universal Records.[1]

On the album Mobilize by punk band Anti-Flag, after several minutes of silence on the album's end track, a friend of the band called Spaz can be heard singing parts of the song with Anti-Flag.

Track listings

All tracks written by Joseph Foreman. 

CD single
No. Title Length
1. "Because I Got High" (Afrolicious Edit) 3:18
2. "Let's All Get Drunk"   5:43
3. "Back On The Bus"   5:43
4. "Because I Got High" (Afropulco Gold & Dirty) 3:18

Alternate versions

Afroman re-recorded the song with new lyrics for his 2009 album Frobama Head of State. A second re-recording of the song, called the "Positive Remix," was released by Afroman through YouTube on October 15, 2014 as part of a collaboration with Weedmaps and NORML. In contrast to the original version, the lyrics of this version deal with the positive effects of marijuana legalization.[4]

Parodies

Bob Rivers included a Christmas-themed version, Be Claus I Got High, on the 2002 album White Trash Christmas, the fifth in Rivers's line of Christmas parody albums.

In 2006, talk show host Randi Rhodes introduced a parody of the song on her show in which a singer imitating the voice of George W. Bush sings about things that happened in Bush's life.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles recorded a parody under the pseudonym "Afro-Blair" featuring Jon Culshaw and another impressionist singing in the guise of the serving Prime Minister Tony Blair, then Leader of the Opposition William Hague and former Prime Ministers John Major and Margaret Thatcher.[5]

Three lead characters of the Turkish TV serial Leyla ile Mecnun sing a Turkish version of the song at the end of Episode 17, which was shot sometime in spring or summer of 2011 in Istanbul. The title of the Turkish version is 'Bu Kiza Kadar' (Until This Girl), and the theme is how the lives of the three characters have changed after they met their respective girlfriends.

The parody artist Rucka Rucka Ali made a version of the song called "Because I'm White".[6]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[7] 1
scope="row"Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 1
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 1
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] 3
scope="row"Denmark (Tracklisten)[11] 1
scope="row"Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 6
scope="row"France (SNEP)[13] 2
scope="row"Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 1
scope="row"Ireland (IRMA)[15] 1
scope="row"Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 6
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 1
scope="row"Norway (VG-lista)[18] 1
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[19] 35
scope="row"Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 3
scope="row"Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 2
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 1
scope="row"US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[23] 17
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[24] 13
scope="row"US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] 40
scope="row"US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 25
US Rap Songs (Billboard)[27] 19

Year-end charts

Chart (2001) Position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[28] 10

Decade-end charts

Chart (2000–2009) Position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[29] 71

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[31] Platinum 40,000*
Belgium (BEA)[32] Platinum 50,000*
Brazil (ABPD)[33] Platinum 125,000*
France (SNEP)[34] Gold 339,000[35]
Germany (BVMI)[36] Platinum 500,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[37] Platinum 10,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[38] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Platinum 600,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[40] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 Nimmervoll, Ed (2008). "Afroman > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  2. ↑ D'Angelo, Joe (2001-08-27). "Afroman Living 'High' Life Thanks To Hit Single". MTV News. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  3. ↑ D'Angelo, Joe (2001-12-21). "Teen Sentenced To Listen To Afroman 'Because He Got High'". MTV News. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  4. ↑ "Afroman - "Because I Got High" Positive Remix". YouTube.com. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Archived December 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJpisLytQGo
  7. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Afroman – Because I Got High". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Afroman – Because I Got High" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Afroman – Because I Got High" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Afroman – Because I Got High" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Afroman – Because I Got High". Tracklisten. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Afroman: Because I Got High" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Afroman – Because I Got High" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Musicline.de – Afroman Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 42, 2001". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Afroman – Because I Got High". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Afroman – Because I Got High". VG-lista. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Romanian peak". Archived from the original on 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2005-05-14.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Afroman – Because I Got High". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Afroman – Because I Got High". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2001-10-27" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Afroman – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Afroman. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Afroman – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Afroman. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Afroman – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Afroman. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Afroman – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Afroman. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Afroman > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  28. ↑ "2001 UK Singles Chart" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  29. ↑ Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by Nihal on 29 December 2009
  30. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  31. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Afroman – Because I Got High (Single)" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Afroman in the field Interpret. Enter Because I Got High (Single) in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
  32. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2002". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
  33. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Afroman – Because I Got High" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos.
  34. ↑ "French single certifications – Afroman – Because I Got High" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  35. ↑ "Les Certifications (Albums) du SNEP (Bilan par Artiste) > "AFROMAN" > "OK" (in French). InfoDisc.fr. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  36. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Afroman; 'Because I Got High')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  37. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved 2015-07-23. ;Note: You can find the accreditation on chart position 43.
  38. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Afroman; 'Because I Got High')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  39. ↑ "British single certifications – Afroman – Because I Got High". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Because I Got High in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  40. ↑ "American single certifications – Afroman – BECAUSE I GOT HIGH". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

Preceded by
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue		 Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
October 14, 2001 – October 28, 2001 		Succeeded by
"Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm
UK Singles Chart number-one single
October 21, 2001 – November 10, 2001 		Succeeded by
"Queen of My Heart" by Westlife
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