Almanac Music; ‘You Go To My Head’ – Songs about Drink
An abbey cellarer testing his wine. Illumination from a copy of Li livres dou santé by Aldobrandino of Siena. British Library manuscript Sloane 2435, f. 44v. [Wikimedia Commons.]
Almanac Music: Songs about Drink
Hello, Almanackers! This week’s piece in my ongoing series about key popular song themes involves songs that in some way involve drink. (This theme goes hand in hand with my last music post involving songs about food, of course.) The drinks concerned can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
So, dear readers, please put your relevant songs in the ‘Comments’ section. Below, as usual, are some examples from me to get things going.
‘Bottle of Wine’, written and performed by Tom Paxton (1965)
Performed and known by many, this song started with Tom.
‘Little Ole Wine Drinker Me’, written by Hank Mills & Dick Jennings, performed by Dean Martin (1967)
‘When they ask who’s the fool in the corner crying / I say a little ole wine drinker me…’
‘Lola’ written by Ray Davies, performed by the Kinks (1970)
Oh what a wonderful, iconic song, and the one that gave champagne and coca cola a whole new resonance…’girls will be boys and boys will be girls’, of course…
‘Elderberry Wine’, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, performed by Elton John (1972)
Good rocker from the earlier period of Elton’s career.
‘A Glass of Champagne’ written by Georg Kajanus, performed by Sailor (1975)
Great little seventies song, beautifully constructed and joyful, one I doubtless first encountered on ABC TV’s Countdown – a forgotten classic, to my way of thinking.
‘You Go to My Head’, written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, performed by Bryan Ferry (1975)
A much-recorded standard – my path to this fine song was the Bryan Ferry version.
‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’, written and performed by Billy Joel (1977)
Billy considers this his favourite out of all the ones he’s written.
‘L’Amour Looks Something Like You’, written and performed by Kate Bush (1978)
‘My eyes were shining / On the wine, and your aura…’
‘Cheap Wine’, written by Don Walker, performed by Cold Chisel (1980)
Great Chisel. Nuff said.
……………………………………………………………………
Now, wonderful readers / listeners – it’s your turn. Your responses to this topic are warmly welcomed. In the ‘Comments’ section, please add your own choice of a song (or songs) involving drink, along with any other relevant material you wish to include.
[Note: as usual, Wikipedia has been a good general reference for this piece, particularly in terms of checking dates and other details.]
Read more from Kevin Densley HERE
Kevin Densley’s latest poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws…I’m Feeling Too Indolent, is available HERE
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His fifth book-length poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws ... I'm Feeling Too Indolent, was published in late 2023 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, which was published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Some that come readily to mind KD:
‘Summer Wine” – Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
‘I’ve Been Drinking’ – Jeff Beck (featuring Rod Stewart)
‘The Bottle Let Me Down’ – Merle Haggard (and many others)
‘Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine’ – Tom T Hall
‘Whisky in the Jar’ – The Dubliners (and many others)
‘Mr Bojangles’ – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
‘Duncan’ – Slim Dusty
‘Drink, Drink’ Drink’ – Mario Lanza
‘Spill The Wine’ – Eric Burdon
Great bunch of drink-related songs to kick things off. Thanks so much, Col, for opening the batting yet again.
“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”, by Rupert Holmes
“No Milk Today”, by Herman’s Hermits
“Piano Man”, by Billy Joel (“He gets me my drinks for free”, “But it’s better than drinking’ alone”, “The microphone smells like a beer”)
“A Pub With No Beer”, by Slim Dusty (“But the boss is inside drinking wine with his mates”)
Television advertisement jingles for the following:
Coca Cola (“Coke is It”), Solo lemon drink (“Solo Man”) Big M milk (“mmmmBigM’), Carlton Draught beer (“Big Ad”), Tooheys Draught beer (“I feel like a Tooheys or two”)
Fine material, Anon – glad to see milk get a run, too, in what is likely to be an alcohol dominated list of songs!
The Parting Glass by the Clancy Brothers. The song we played as we took the old man out of the church and to his burial. Just a classic.
A Jug of Punch – Clancy Brothers.
Every song by The Pogues!! ?.
Show Me the Way to Go Home – The Andrews Sisters
Tequila – The Champs
Kisses Sweeter Than Wine – Jimmie Rodgers
Cool Clear Water – Burl Ives
I am a Cider Drinker – The Wurzels
“Tequila Sunrise”, by the Eagles
“Summer Nights”, by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (“We went strolling, drank lemonade.”j
Television advertisement jingles for the following:
“Fancy Nancy”, sung by John Farnham, for Fanta soft drinks
Leeds Lemonade soft drink (“Love your Leed”)
Schweppes Lemonade soft drink (“The most refreshing lemonade”)
Popper Juice (“100% fruit juice)
Thanks for your contributions, Dips – I enjoyed the Irish emphasis. Particularly for those of us with Irish in our backgrounds, it serves as a salutary reminder of how much the Irish have given us. I’m also reminded of some family history research I did a while back, where I read in a South Australian country newspaper that a great-grandfather of mine performed a ‘remarkably vigorous Irish jig’ (or words to that effect) at some occasion – no surprise, when one thinks about it, given that his mother, my great-great grandmother (of course), was actually born in Ireland.
Tea for Two – Doris day
Tea for Two Cha- Cha – Tommy Dorsey
Sippin Soda – Guy Mitchell
Whiskey in My Tea – Seamus Moore
Thanks, Fisho, for your selections. I often think of ‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’ as one of those old fashioned songs sung by drunks in comedy sketches.
Thank you, Anon, for your latest bunch – good to see lemonade get a run. Doesn’t always have to be the harder stuff!
Hey KD – a toast to you for a fine theme.
Tea For The Tillerman – Cat Stevens
and a cheeky one
Like A Rolling Stone – they’re all drinking, thinking that they’ve got it made
Great, Karl – excellent start! One non-alcoholic, one alcoholic.
Here’s an oldie that popped into my consciousness as I was contemplating ‘drink’ songs:
We’ll drink a drink, a drink
To Lily the Pink, the Pink, the Pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented, medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
Not sure if it’s alcoholic or non-alcoholic – maybe it’s both…
All alcoholic themes this time. “Dreadlock Holiday”, by 10cc (“Sinkin’ pina colada”).
“Australiana”, by Austen Tayshus (“We got to the party about two and walked straight out the kitchen to get some booze from the fridge” and “So I grabbed a beer”).
Thanks, Karl. ‘Lily the Pink’ is a particularly interesting one, in that it was a big British hit for English group, The Scaffold, who included Peter Michael McCartney, Paul’s brother, who was known at the time as Mike McGear. McGear also co-wrote the song.
My Shout KD
Somebody Put Something In My Drink – Ramones
Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me) – Paul McCartney
Adelaide – Paul Kelly
How About A Beer For The Horse – Sandshoe Willie & The Worn Out Soul Band
Sugar and Spice – Split Enz
Long Tall Glasses – Leo Sayer
He Gave Us The Wine To Taste It – Jonathan Richman
Black Coffee In Bed – Squeeze
Coffee and TV – Blur
Sweet Guy – Paul Kelly
Every Day’s A Holiday, Every Night Is Party Time – Saints
Thanks, Anon, for ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ and ‘Australiana’.
How did I forget Greetings to The New Brunette – Billy Bragg ?
I’ll lead with a song appropriate for the day, and a few other gems:
My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don’t Love Jesus, Jimmy Buffett
Cocaine Blues, Johnny Cash
Whiskey with my Whiskey, The Felice Brothers
I Asked for Water, Howlin Wolf
The Night’s Too Long, Lucinda Williams
A Drop of the hard Stuff – Peter Sellers
Beer Barrel Polka – The Andrews Sisters
A Steel Guitar and a Glass of Wine
Sorry, the last one is from Paul Anka.
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please – Splodgenessabounds
The Nios Are Getting Bigger – Mental As Anything
Tubthumpin’ – Chumbawamba
Nice variety of songs in your ‘shout’, Swish. Thank you for those. To select just one for comment – ‘Long Tall Glasses’ by Leo Sayer. What a beauty! I’m a fan of a great deal of early Leo Sayer stuff, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere.
Roger McGough, great poet, was in The Scaffold as well.
Every one of these toons is a cracker!
Wissledon to Cricklewood, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros (all the Aussie largers are on me)
Too Drunk to Fuck, The Dead Kennedys
If Only You Were Lonely, The Replacements
Here Comes a Regular, The Replacements
Feel Good Hit of the Summer, Queens of the Stone Age
The drink songs are flowing along nicely KD.
Where Do You Go To My Lovely – Peter Sarstedt
‘And you sip your Napoleon brandy
But you never get your lips wet, no, you don’t’
“Do-Re-Mi”, by Julie Andrews (“Tea, a drink with jam and bread”)
“Copacabana”, by Barry Manilow (“She sits there so refined and drinks herself half blind”)
“Seasons in the Sun”, by Terry Jacks (“Too much wine and too much song” and “The wine and the song”)
“Lola”, by the Kinks (“I met her in a club in old Soho, Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola,
C-O-L-A, Cola” and “Well we drank champagne and danced all night”).
Cottees Cordial television advertisement jingle (“My dad picks the fruit that goes to Cottees, to make the cordial that I love best”).
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer – George Thoroughgood
Nice day to go to the pub – Cosmic Psychos
Coolsville – Rickie Lee Jones
Sorry, I just realised “Lola”, was on the playlist at the beginning of the article.
“Red, Red Wine”, both the Neil Diamond and UB40 versions.
“Cold Gin’, by KISS
Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond.
“American Pie”, by Don McLean (“And them good ‘ol boys were drinking whiskey and rye”).
“Hotel California”, by Eagles (“Please bring me my wine”. He said, “We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969”, as well as “Mirrors on the ceiling with pink champagne on ice”).
“Joy to the World”, by Three Dog Night
(“ But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine”).
Is That All There Is – Peggy Lee
Save the last Dance For Me – The Drifters
The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane – Dean Martin
Working For the Man – Roy Orbison
Thanks to Fisho, Rick, Karl, Anon and Willo for your recent song selections and, where applicable, comments. I have a feeling that this could be our biggest theme yet in terms of responses.
Lines that have always bugged me in terms of alcohol were brought up by Anon – the ‘Hotel California’ lines where wine is, in effect, called a spirit. What!
‘There’s a tear in my beer’, featuring Hank Williams and Hank. Jnr is at home here.
Apparently Hank recorded it, though never released it. Nigh on 40 years later the younger Hank dug out the recording, but using the wonders of late 20th technology could record his own take, then merge them into a single. Whilst Hank Jnr was on a roll merging the two recordings he produced a film clip of the song featuring him, and dad.
Love it.
Glen!
I agree KD, this could be a very long innings because it’s country music’s wheelhouse, so, let’s go:
There Stands the Glass, Webb Pierce
Pub with no Beer, Slim
I’m a Man you don’t meet Everyday, Irish tune
The Big Light, Little Elvis, and covered by The Man in Black
Misery and Gin, Merle
Thank you, Glen – I’ll certainly give the film clip of the Williams song a look and listen.
Great, Rick – thanks for your latest. (Anon, incidentally, mentioned ‘Pub with No Beer’ very early on, but it does get more difficult to keep track of what’s gone before as the list gets longer.)
and the piano has been drinking (not me) – Tom Waits
“Whiskey River”, the Willie Nelson version, used by “My Name is Earl” when he got into another of his terrible dilemmas, this time forcing himself to consummate his marriage when he didn’t want to!
Right said Fred – Bernard Cribbins
Fifteen Beers Ago – Sheb Wooley
Sick, Sober and Sorry – Letty Frizzell
Thanks, Tim, for the clever Waits song.
Thank you, too, to George and Fisho, for your contributions.
I get no kick from champagne
Mere alcohol doesn’t thrill me at all
A song sung my many but Gary Shearston’s version of I Get A Kick Out Of You gets a big tick from me.
BTW – loved Sailor’s ‘A Glass Of Champagne’ in the intro.
Thanks, Karl, for ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’. So glad you loved ‘A Glass of Champagne’, too – as I indicated, I think it’s a neglected 70s classic.
Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women – Buck Owens
Champagne Charlie is My Name – George Leybourne
Cheers, Fisho – two ‘oldies but goodies’ there!
“Skinny Milk” milk television advertisement jingle (“Everyone wants to be a little bit skinnier, everyone wants to be with Skinny Milk”).
“Polly Put the Kettle On”, by The Wiggles (“Polly put the kettle on, we”ll all have tea”).
I have decided to bring up the Almanac Music Readers half century with another single, “One Drink Too Many”, by Sailor.
Thanks, Anon, for clocking up our half-century. (Aside: my main memory of those Skinny Milk TV ads is the presence of the beautiful actress Rebecca Gilling in them.)
This is good fun. Thanks KD. Largely on the back of buying some Skyhooks vinyl recently they’re on my mind. And how could their tales of 70’s suburbia not mention booze?
Ego is Not a Dirty Word, Love’s Not Good Enough, Love on the Radio, Is This America?, The Girl Says She’s Bored, This is My City, Living in The Seventies, Balwyn Calling, You Just Like Me ’Cos I’m Good in Bed,
Toorak Cowboy, Broken Gin Bottle, Women In Uniform, Hotel Hell.
There’s probably more (Swish might attest) but this covers their four best albums!
Irony squared Mickey – what about Sitting In A Bar In Adelaide?
‘Dig a hole in the ground straight down to hell
Till there ain’t no water in the well well well’
Interesting twist in the origins of this song: Lyric by Danny O’Keefe; Music by Bob Dylan.
The best version of this song is by Ben Harper & The Blind Boys Of Alabama.
To segue to an earlier comment, Danny wrote & recorded Magdalena on his 1973 ‘Breezy Stories’ album – which is well worth a listen. Leo Sayer picked up the song and recorded it for his 1976 ‘Endless Flight’ album and does a fine cover version. I, like you, was very much into early Leo stuff. I still have the ticket stub from seeing him in concert at the Hordern Pavilion on 21 May 1975: Sec 6/Row W/No.1.
Whiskey Bottle, Uncle Tupelo
Whiskey Lullaby, Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley
Kisses Sweeter than Wine, Waylon Jennings
Hum’s Liquor, Lucinda Williams
Careless, Paul Kelly
Great stuff, Mickey – fine coverage of Skyhooks and ‘drink’.
Nifty appendix to Mickey’s work, Swish!
Interesting post, Karl, regarding a range of topics, including Danny O’Keefe, Dylan, Ben Harper & The Blind Boys Of Alabama, as well as early Leo Sayer – what a combination!
Thanks, Rick, for your latest lot – interesting material, as always, based upon a great deal of knowledge about popular songs.
The drink topic flows on, so to speak – like a river!
Oh, of course – ‘Cheers (Drink to That)’, a fine song recorded by Rihanna: ‘Cheers to the freakin’ weekend…’
The Andrews Sisters – Rum and Coca Cola (amazed Fisho hasn’t already mentioned this)
Lucinda Williams – Drunken Angel
Kirsty McColl – He’s on the Beach (“We used to Share a Taste For wine’)
Johnny Cash – A Boy named Sue (I thought I’d stop and buy myself a brew”)
Kris Kristofferson – Sunday Morning Coming Down
Kris Kristofferson – Casey’s Last Ride
McGuinness Flint – Malt and Barley Blues
Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die (Actually it is a traditional English folk song , but Traffic did a very good version)
I will probably add some more folkee sonsgs later on)
After sleep, they continued down the other tunnel in
their quest for water, and whilst searching on his own, Hans, the
guide, heard the sound of water thundering behind a granite wall,
and, with a pick axe, attacked the wall so as to allow a stream of
boiling water to enter and cool in their tunnel. Not only had they
found life in the water but they had also found a flowing guide to
the Centre of the Earth.
…and not only had they found water, but also a valid entry in this post!
Whiskey girls: Electric Light Orchestra Part II
Evil woman: Electric Light Orchestra
Devil woman: Cliff Richard
Hey grandma: Moby Grape
Welcome: The Who
Coca Cola: The Who (jingle on The Who Sell Out)
Primitive Love Rites: Mondo Rock
Rain: The Beatles
Norwegian Wood: The Beatles
A hazy shade of winter: Simon and Garfunkel
My coffee’s gone cold: Australian Crawl
Too many times: Mental as anything
Get up Jake: The Band
Legend of a mind: Moody Blues
Deacon Blues: Steely Dan
Dirty little secret: Sarah McLachlan
Need you now: Lady A
Water water: James Reyne
Some people: James Reyne
Regrets: Ben Folds Five
Live it up: Crosby Stills and Nash
Many thanks, Dave, for your mainly country and folk set of song choices. Fine stuff! (And I was waiting for someone to give the wonderful ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ a guernsey.)
Ah yes, Karl, Rick Wakeman’s ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ – excellent pickup!
Great bunch of songs, thanks Liam.
In terms of Oz songs connected to drink, I’ll throw in ‘Barbados’, by Models.
Huge effort fellow drinkers! Moby Grape referenced, love it.
Here’s a few more, and I might add, top shelf songs in their own righ5:
White Wine in the Sun, Tim Minchin
Two More Bottles of Wine, Emmylou
Champagne Problems, Taylor Swift
Bloodshot Eyes, Wynonie Harris
Smokin’ Johnny Cash, The Black Eyed Susans
I’ll throw in the most obvious Dylan contribution:
‘One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee ’fore I go
To the valley below’
A few less obvious to follow…..
eg: Businessmen they drink my wine – All Along The Watchtower
“Waltzing Matilda”, by Banjo Patterson (“And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil” and (“Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong”).
Rick, Karl and Anon – thank you all, yet again, for some fine song choices.
Some folk songs about drinking, as promised above
Trad – Nancy Whiskey (also known as The Calton Weaver)
Trad – Whiskey You’re the Devil (I first heard this on a Clancy Brothers Record)
Lyrics Paddy Ryan, tune trad Irish – The Man that Waters the Workers’ Beer
Trad Scottish – The Parting Glass (I first heard this in the 60s from the Clancy brothers, so did Bob Dylan who adapted it as Restless Farewell)
trad Scots and Irish – All for Me Grog
trad Australian – Across the Western Plains (same song rewritten by C19th Australians)
“It’s ah! for my grog, my jolly, jolly grog,
It’s ah! for my beer and tobacco,
I spent all my tin in the shanty drinking gin,
Now across the western plains I must wander.
Many thanks, Dave – excellent folk material here!
Happy Monday KD
Here’s 2 ‘drink’ offerings from Mr Dylan – both involving murders in a bar:
Hurricane:
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
Lily, Rosemary & The Jack Of Hearts
Rosemary started drinkin’ hard and seein’ her reflection in the knife
She was tired of the attention, tired of playin’ the role of Big Jim’s wife
Thanks, Karl, for these two. ‘Hurricane’ happens to be one of my favourite Dylan songs.
What a Mouth (He got so drunk one foggy morn, he lay in the road and started to yarn) – Tommy Steel.
Sorry about not mentioning Rum and Coca – Cola, I thought of it but was positive someone already must of mentioned it
Dylan’s Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts should be turned into a movie.
A bit of Australiana:
Star Hotel, Cold Chisel
Charleville, Slim Dusty and Don Walker
Tarrilup Bridge, The Triffids
The Bogga Wogga Wedding, Chad Morgan
Beerijuana, The Original Cartridge Family
Thanks, Fisho, for the Tommy Steele number. Did you he’s still going strong, age 87, and was knighted in 2020?
Thanks, Rick – interesting range of fine selections – some ripper harmonica on the Don and Slim song, to pick out one!
I Left The Wolves Behind That Night- The Tiger & Me
“I sat beside an acacia tree,
And a fountain of red wine”
First an apology to Dips, checking over this thread I see that you mentioned The Parting Glass many posts before I did.
Checking over this thread I also notice that no one has mentioned the greatest “Cocktail song” of all time
Jimmy Buffett -.Margaritaville
Now for some songs that are about non-alcoholic drinks (covering several genres)
Michael Nesmith – Texas Morning (which I posted in the wrong category last week)
Gordon Lightfoot – Second Cup of Coffee
Nat “King” Cole – You’re the Cream in my Coffee
Ray Charles – Hallellujah I just Love Her So (“Every mornin’ ‘fore the sun comes up
She brings me coffee in my favorite cup”)
Dave De Hugard – Billy of Tea
Don Carrol – Seven Up and Ice Cream Soda (a pop song from 1961 which I didn’t like then and don’t like now but I wanted a song about a soft drink)
“Milkshake”, by Village People
Thanks, Luke – I liked both the song and the clip.
Thank you, Dave. Fine selections. And yes, ‘Margaritaville’ … we certainly needed that song mentioned at some point!
Thanks again, Anon, too.
Here’s a triplet from the nobel laureate:
Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues: I started out on Burgundy, but soon hit the harder stuff
Tangled Up In Blue: She was working in a topless place and I stopped in for a beer
Things Have Changed: There’s a woman on my lap and she’s drinking champagne
CHEERS!
Thanks, Karl, for the three great Dylan songs.
Two more bottles of wine, written by Delbert McClinton and covered by Emmylou Harris.
Sunday morning coming down, Kris Kristophinson.
Just about any song by Townes Van Zant!
Hope these qualify and not repeated.
Drinking wine spo Dee o Dee by The Killer.
Drivin Nails in my Coffin (every time I drink a bottle of booze) by Ernest Tubb
Five I clock somewhere – Alan Jackson and one for the millenials Harry Styles in Keep Driving asks for Maple Syrup Ciffee and Pancakes for two.
Regards. Frank.
Hi Tony – thanks for these. ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ has already been listed, but it is a beauty.
And thank you, Frank, for your selections.
“A Hard Earned Thirst Needs A Big Cold Beer, But I Drink To Get Pissed” by TISM
Some songs by The Replacements:
Raised in the City (Raised on beers)
Willpower
I’ll Buy
Waitress in the Sky
Attitude
Beer for Breakfast
Red Red Wine (not a cover)
Valentine
Ah yes, Luke, trust TISM to have a song directly concerning this subject matter!
Thanks, Rick, for this bunch of songs by The Replacements. We’re certainly getting a considerable variety in terms of our drink-related songlist.
Bring Me Some Water – Melissa Etheridge
There was a time in the late 80’s when female singer/songwriters were leading the charge.
Thank you, Karl – good one! Know it well.
Hi yet again.
I tell you KD I’m not even looking for songs about or with drinking in them but they’re finding me! I wonder if that’s a message. Hmm, probably not. So, I was listening to Hayes Carll, an excellent country rock singer/songwriter and I remembered a song of his called Drunken Poet’s Dream (written with Ray Wylie Hubbard – and I reckon he has a song or three about the drink). Anyways, I found the album on Spotify and had a listen and damn me, there’s seven songs on the album drink specific or related. Here they are.
Faulkner Street (Trouble in Mind)
Drunken Poet’s Dream
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart
I Got a Gig
Beaumont
Knockin’ Over Whiskeys
She Left Me for Jesus
This is a ripper of a record by the way.
I was going to call it quits but Rick’s mention of a song about livers reminded me that I hadn’t mentioned one of the best Victorian songs about drinking (and it even name checks Collingwood footballer Ron Wearmouth)
The Dead Livers – Star of the West.
Although the closest it comes to mentioning beer is in the chorus when it mentions barrels and taps, the whole song is about a drinking session at the Star of the West pub in Port Fairy when Ronnie Wearmouth managed it in the early 1980s.
Thanks, Rick, for the Hayes Carll material. Yes, that’s certainly an issue I’ve encountered before – having a theme seem to follow me around. My most recent one is songs that involve harmonica – lately, it’s seems that every second song I listen to has some harmonica in it, which relates to a particular past theme in this current popular song series, as you’ll recall.
Thank you, Dave – just had a listen to ‘Star of the West’ and it’s a good ‘un which I’ve heard before. Nice addition to the overall list, as we approach another ton.
Let me take us to the ton, with George Jones, appropriately:
Yabba Dabba Doo, The King is Gone, George Jones
The Four Horseman, The Clash
Whitehouse Road, Tyler Childers
Oklahoma Smokeshow, Zach Bryan
So Much Wine, The Handsome Family
Cheers, Rick – I’ll drink to your latest selections!
The Doors, Roadhouse Blues “woke up this morning and got myself a beer…..”
‘Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed from a Skull’
A bit ‘imprecise’ but I figure you’ll get the gist KD
Kick your shoes off – do not fear
Bring that bottle over here
I’ll be your baby tonight
Thanks, Richard, DB and Karl
Richard – classic!
DB – neat Byron inclusion!
Karl – yeah, ‘I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight’ is a wonderful song.
Another round, on me:
Choctaw Bingo, James McMurtry (he’s the real deal – with a song that begins with the line, “Strap them kids in, give ’em a lil bit of vodka” how could he not be)
Merry Christmas from the Family, Robert Earl Keen (so is REK – “Carve the turkey, turn the ball game on, mix margaritas when the egg-nog’s gone”)
Dry Town, Gillian Welch (yep, Gillian is as well – It’s dry town, no beer, no liquor for miles around, I’d give a nickel for a sip or two to wash me down, outta this dry town)
Constructive Summer, The Hold Steady (And these guys – Me and my friends are like “Double-whiskey-coke-no-ice”, we drink along in double time, might drink too much, but we feel fine)
Moonshiner, Uncle Tupelo (credited with the resurgence of “good” country or kick-starting Americana, and while they’re a good band that spurred Wilco and Son Volt, they were one small part of that resurgence. Oh and this is a cover, a damn fine cover with lines like this: The whole world is a bottle and life is but a dram, when the bottle gets empty, Lord, it sure ain’t worth a damn)
Johnny 99, Bruce Springsteen (from Nebraska, which is loved by people who really like Bruce – the infatuated know that his next record BitUSA is Bruce at his pinnacle. Mind you, Nebraska is a great record and this song starts like this:
Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month
Ralph went out lookin’ for a job but he couldn’t find none
He came home too drunk from mixin’Tanqueray and wine
He got a gun shot a night clerk now they call’m Johnny 99)
“Baker Street”, by Gerry Rafferty (“You”ll drink the night away” and He’s gonna give up the booze and the one-night stands”).
Wonderful and comprehensive response, Rick – detail and personal insight combine to produce a heady and transporting brew!
Thanks for ‘Baker Street’, Anon – definitely a song where (giving up the) booze is central.
“Evil Woman”, by Electric Light Orchestra (“You made the wine, now you drink a cup”).
Hey KD
I’m scraping the bottom of the drinking vessel for these final contributions from the Dylan songbook:
Wiggle wiggle – released on Under The Red Sky album
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a pail of milk
When I Paint My Masterpiece (produced by Leon Russell) – released on Greatest Hit Vol II
Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola
Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-cola
Thanks for the theme – I’ve enjoyed the journey.
Thanks, Anon – you are so prolific!
Cheers and thank you, Karl. Glad you’ve enjoyed the journey down the river of whiskey, or orange juice if you prefer! (New theme next week.)
New theme! Beauty – I’ve got my Dylan songbook at the ready :)!
What the what Karl, I’m getting me second wind. So, there’s these:
Whiskey Trail, Los Lobos
Happy Songs Sell Records, Sad Songs Sell Beer, Jim Ford
Call Me in Tahiti, Arthur Alexander
Little Hotel Room, Ray Charles and Merle Haggard
Dead Drunk and Naked, Drive-By Truckers
Cheers, Karl!
And thanks yet again, Rick – the river of the beverage-of-your-choice flows on! And a song theme never really ends – it just becomes more comprehensive in terms of what it contains.
“Rasputin”, by Boney M (“But when his drinking and lusting”), (“They put some poison into his wine.”) and (“He drank it all and said he was fine.”)
Yep, Anon – spot on in relation to our theme. Thanks!
Making pumpkin soup this morning and listening to the new Vampire Weekend album. The algorithm took over and played the excellent Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins) by Father John Misty, a love song so wonderfully unorthodox we played it, among others, for our wedding waltz. It opens with-
Emma eats bread and butter
Like a queen would have ostrich and cobra wine
We’ll have satanic Christmas Eve
And play piano in the Château lobby.
The second verse is also fantastic-
I wanna take you in the kitchen
Lift up your wedding dress, someone was probably murdered in
So bourgeoisie to keep waiting
Dating for twenty years just feels pretty civilian.
Sounds really interesting and well worth a listen, Mickey. Thanks so much for putting the song on this most recent list.
Bus Money, The Chats
2 Hands to Heaven, Beyonce
Pinball Song, Slobberbone
Dangerous, Innocent Bystanders (Perth band, 1980s)
I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink, Merle
“Lady Marmalade”, by Labelle (“That boy drank all that magnolia wine.”)
Thanks yet again, Rick and Anon – both of you have contributed enormously to the success of this theme-based songlist.
“Another Day”, by Paul McCartney “Drinks another coffee and she finds it hard to stay awake (another)”
Yes, Anon – thank you.
“Kokomo”, by The Beach Boys (“Tropical drink melting in your hand”) and (“Cocktails and moonlit nights”)
Some nice vocals in your latest song choice, Anon – thanks!
“Fox on the Run”, by Manfred Mann (“Come take a glass of wine and fortify your soul.”)
“Walk Like an Egyptian”, by The Bangles (“You drop your drink, then they bring you more.”)
Thank for your latest two, Anon. ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ is an old favourite of mine.
“When I’m sixty-four”, by The Beatles (“Birthday greetings, bottle of wine”)
“Werewolves of London”, by Warren Zevon (“I saw a werewolf drinkin’ a pina colada at Trader Vic’s.”)
“Girls Girls Girls”, by Sailor (“They all like that fancy world Champagne”)
A very good threesome, Anon. Thanks!
“Love Potion Number 9”, by The Searchers (“I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink.”)
Big tick there, A. Ta!
“Love On The Rocks’, by Neil Diamond (“Just pour me a drink and I”ll tell you some lies.”)
“Matthew and Son”, by Cat Stevens (“There’s a five-minute break and that’s all you take for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.”)
Thanks for these two, Anon.
Speaking of coffee, Courtney Barnett’s ‘Depreston’ mentions coffee and tea.
“Ego (Is Not a Dirty Word)”, by Skyhooks (“A fridge full of Leonard Cohen, Have to get drunk just to walk out the door. Stay drunk to keep on goin’)
Thanks, Anon – bit of an Oz classic, your latest.
“Nutbush City Limits”, by Tina Turner (“No whiskey for sale. You get drunk, no bail.”)
Thanks, Anon, for ‘Nutbush City Limits’.
“Save the Last Dance For Me”, by Michael Buble (“Like sparklin’ wine, go and have your fun.”)
Thanks, Anon – a song about bubbles by Bubbles (i.
e. Buble)!
“Moscow”, by Dschingis Khan (Moscow, Moscow, drinking vodka all night long”) and (“Moscow, Moscow come and have a drink and then you will never leave again”)
“Need You Now”, by Lady Antebellum (“Another shot of whiskey”) and (“It’s a quarter after one, I’m a little drunk and I need you now.”)
“Lucille”, by Kenny Rogers (“When the drinks finally hit her she said, I’m no quitter”) and (“After he left us, I ordered more whiskey”)
“The Gambler”, by Kenny Rogers (“Fir a taste of whiskey, I”ll give you some advice. So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.”)
Thanks for your latest quartet of choices, Anon.
“I Drink Wine”, by Adele
Congratulations to the Almanac Music Readers for reaching yet another 150. We have now have 5 with songs that have reached that milestone with songs involving Animals (the only double century), Food, (Houses, Homes and Rooms), Clothes and now Drinks.
Thanks so much, Anon – another milestone for our contributors.
“Tenterfield Saddler”, by Peter Allen (“And it’s easier to drink than go crazy”)
“Cabaret”, by Liza Minnelli (“Come taste the wine”) and (“Well that’s what comes from too much pills and liquor”)
Thank you, A, for these latest two selections.
“When You’re Gone”, by Bryan Adams (“Drink ain’t doing what it should”)
Thanks, A, for this Adams song.
“Tonight’s The Night”, by Rod Stewart (“Let me pour you a good long drink.”)
Ta, Anon.
“Voulez-Vous”, by Abba (“The girl means business, so I’ll offer her a drink.”)
Good one, Anon. Ta.
“Single Bed”, by Noosa Fox (“P-p-p-pour out your wine”)
Memorable seventies song, Anon. Thanks.
“Hooked on a Feeling”, by Bjorn Skifs and Blue Swede (“Girl, you got me thirsty for another cup of wine.”)
Another memorable song of the seventies, especially because of the intro vocals – thanks, Anon.