Nutty:

I think someone called this an "Abilene Paradox", as it appears we agree on this to a great extent. They common key is in the words you used, . . . the more educated scholars . . ." I never meant that wine, women, and song were not referred to in the song, as the members any organization founded by fans of Anacreon would certainly indulge in those three things so much enjoyed by the poet himself.

However, those Anacreon Society folks were not of the drunken unwashed masses belting out the song in dingy barrooms amidst the mud, the blood, and beer. Scholars for some reason, maybe educational arrogance, don't (at least publicly) enjoy their liquor with quite the same rambunctious glee and gusto as I and my fellow rednecks did.

So, although the tune may well have drifted down to many hangouts of the far from literary folks, and did, generally with a variety of different lyrics being used (most having nothing to do with Anacreon or literature of any scholarly sort), contrary to the old wives tale, the tune was adopted not from the local rowdy bar, but rather from its more distinguished source.

Like I said earlier, there are a lot of songs that are sung in bars and taverns that were never considered drinking songs.

In the meantime, I read somewhere that too much wine, women, and song will shorten a man's lifespan by 10 - 15 years, so I had to give up something. I quit reading.

Eu