Then there's all our lovely enabling and outrageous drinking songs, which most of my group sings cold sober. I'm not sure what to do with these songs. I love to sing them and will continue to do so but the usual message is terrible, and yet I'm not sure what kind of disclaimer would be effective even if desirable. A case in point (no pun intended) is how many temperance songs became robust drinking songs.

I certainly agree that most performers do not enhance their performance or their personalities by drinking. But then there are people such as Stan Hugill who I cannot conceive of singing without his rum bottle (was it filled with tea?). How Stan managed to survive as long as he did was a major miracle. But many other musicians, and aspiring musicians, have ruined themselves and put their close friends through hell in the process.