(This is it folks, over the top)

He was selling postcards from a paper stand
The whiskey bottle in his withered hand
Put his finger on a photo from an old magazine
Saw himself in the shadow of his dream

They found him with his head inside a tin-pot crown
Told him his feet stank and took him downtown
Called him agitator, spy and thief
Shut him up in solitary third degree

Take a long line
Take a long line
Take a long line
Reel him in

He tried to appeal to the king of might
Said "I'm just exercising my sacred right"
The king he said "You ain't got no rights
You're a madman, a traitor, get outta my sight"

Take a long line
Take a long line
Take a long line
Reel him in

They found him with his head inside a tin-pot crown
Told him his feet stank and took him downtown
Called him agitator, spy and thief
Shut him up in solitary third degree

Then they put him aboard a well wound whirlwind
Pulled out his teeth and they told him to grin
He gave them a smile, pulled out a bottle of wine
And said "I never existed, you've been wasting your time"

Take a long line
Take a long line
Take a long line
Reel him in

Take a long line
Take a long line
Take a long line
Reel him in

Take a long line
Take a long line
Take a long, long long long line
Reel him in

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Take A Long Line" describe the story of a man who seems to have deviated from the norm and the societal standards expected of him, leading to his confinement and ultimately his demise. The man is depicted as initially selling postcards from a paper stand while holding a whiskey bottle in his hand. He then recalls a photo from an old magazine, seeing himself in the shadow of his dream, which suggests that he was once an ambitious and aspirational individual. However, the man's nonconformity to the norms of society lands him in trouble, having been accused of being an agitator, spy, and thief. He is then shut up in solitary confinement in third degree, which is a form of torture used to extract information.

The chorus of the song "Take a long line, reel him in" can be interpreted as a call to action or a metaphor for the man's capture and restraint, which is further reinforced in the repeated verse about finding him with his head inside a tin-pot crown, telling him his feet stank, and taking him downtown. The man attempts to plead his case to the king, stating that he is exercising his sacred right, but his appeals fall on deaf ears because the king regards him as a madman and a traitor. The man is then subjected to more torture, having his teeth pulled out and being told to grin, yet he still manages to maintain his sense of humor and individuality by pulling out a bottle of wine and stating that he never existed, leading to the futile efforts of those who have been wasting their time trying to bring him down.

Line by Line Meaning

He was selling postcards from a paper stand
A man was selling postcards on the street from a stand made of paper

The whiskey bottle in his withered hand
He held an empty whiskey bottle in his hand that was shaking due to age and overuse

Put his finger on a photo from an old magazine
He pointed to a photo on one of the postcards, which was a copy of an image from an old magazine

Saw himself in the shadow of his dream
He imagined himself in the place of the person in the photo, living the life of his dreams

They found him with his head inside a tin-pot crown
The man was wearing a makeshift crown made out of a tin container when he was discovered

Told him his feet stank and took him downtown
The people who found him insulted him and took him to the police station

Called him agitator, spy and thief
The authorities accused him of being a troublemaker, a spy, and a thief

Shut him up in solitary third degree
They locked him up alone in a harsh prison cell and subjected him to intense interrogation

Take a long line
They wanted to catch him and put him under their control

Reel him in
They wanted to bring him in and make him obey their orders

He tried to appeal to the king of might
He attempted to reason with the person in charge who had ultimate power

Said 'I'm just exercising my sacred right'
He argued that he was just exercising his freedom and doing what he believed was right

The king he said 'You ain't got no rights
The person in charge dismissed his argument and told him he had no rights

You're a madman, a traitor, get outta my sight'
The person in charge labeled him crazy and unpatriotic, and ordered him away

Then they put him aboard a well wound whirlwind
They made him go through a grueling and dizzying experience

Pulled out his teeth and they told him to grin
They extracted his teeth, causing great pain, and then told him to smile

He gave them a smile, pulled out a bottle of wine
He managed to put up a cheerful exterior, surprising them with his resilience, and offered them a bottle of wine

And said 'I never existed, you've been wasting your time'
He denied his own existence and told them that they had been pursuing a pointless endeavor