We should’ve always known that the inexplicable but perfect Toto-Weezer union would ultimately conclude with Toto willingly taking on the most contested lyric in Rivers Cuomo’s songbook. The lovefest began when one persistent fan spammed Weezer for months on Twitter asking them to cover Toto’s “Africa” because, why the hell not? Weezer eventually obliged, and it then went on to become their biggest hit in a decade; they even performed it with Toto’s Steve Porcaro on Kimmel. Toto have now returned the favor and covered, of all possible Weezer songs, 2001’s “Hash Pipe” at their show in Vancouver last night, with plans to record it. “We figured since we were smoking hash since before they were born, that’s the one we should do,” Steve Lukather said before the performance.
But, of course, there’s an even better backstory to their choice. Toto were originally going to cover “Beverly Hills” with an “Africa” spin (picture it), when their hearts led them to the Green Album instead. Porcaro tells KROQ: “But you know what? We wanted to make it different, but we wanted to do something rock ‘n’ roll. I wanted to show everyone what a good rock ‘n’ roll band we can be.” According to Steve Lukather, “Hash Pipe” has a “better melody,” and “he loved the message of the song.” (Spoiler: There isn’t much of one.) “We wanted to do it justice. We wanted to do our thing to it, but still pay respect to it,” he says. “And we added a couple of our kitschy little things to it, which I hope that they laugh [at].” We now invite you to please enjoy Toto doing justice to a song in which Cuomo may or may not have sung “I’ve got my ass wide.”