Tommy James; Dragging' the Line (1971)

[littlemissmartypants]

Snip...The meaning behind Tommy James’ 1971 pop-rock hit “Draggin’ the Line” is often disguised by its thick, drooping rhythm, dingy groove, and ear-perking lines like My dog Sam eats purple flowers. The message of the song is actually about life: working hard, loving well, and finding peace of mind through it all.

The tune offers a near-three-minute dose of freedom from worry, work, and life’s woes that will have you too belting out I feel fine!

Behind the Song
“Draggin’ The Line” was born in 1970 on James’ farm in upstate New York. “It was a song I probably couldn’t have written in the city,” James shared of the song in an interview.

Alongside Bob King, James created the melody before the tune ever had words. “We just kind of toyed with it,” he said. “We wrote it, and it was a very repetitious track and a very hypnotic track. We had the track before we had the song. We went into the studio and just laid down, I don’t know, eight or 10 bars of track. We looped it and looped it and looped it, and created the hypnotic rhythm. Bob played bass, Russ Leslie from Neon played drums, and I played guitar. We just created loops of tape based on this little riff, and when we had three-plus minutes of it put together we stopped, and then we wrote the song around the track.” Snip...
https://americansongwriter.com/meaning-behind-tommy-james-draggin-the-line/

Draggin’ the Line Lyrics
[Instrumental Intro]

[Verse 1]
Makin' a livin' the old hard way
Takin' and givin' by day by day
I dig snow and rain and the bright sunshine

[Refrain]
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)

[Verse 2]
My dog Sam eats purple flowers
Ain't got much, but what we got's ours
We dig snow and rain and the bright sunshine
[Refrain]
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)

[Chorus]
I feel fine
I'm talkin' 'bout peace of mind
I'm gonna take my time
I'm gettin' the good sign

[Refrain]
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)

[Verse 3]
Lovin' a free and feelin' spirit
Of huggin' a tree when you get near it
Diggin' the snow and the rain and the bright sunshine

[Refrain]
Mmm, draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)

[Chorus]
I feel fine
I'm talkin' 'bout peace of mind
I'm gonna take my time
I'm gettin' the good sign
[Refrain]
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line)

[Outro]
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line) (La-la la-la la-la la-la)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line) (La-la la-la la-la la)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line) (La-la la-la la-la la-la)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line) (La-la la-la la-la la)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line) (La-la la-la la-la la-la)
Draggin' the line (Draggin' the line) (La-la la-la la-la la)