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Lyr Req: Drinking Song (Loudon Wainwright III)

05 Aug 03 - 08:32 PM (#997541)
Subject: Lyr Req: Drinking Song - Loudon Wainwright III
From: GUEST,Bman

He's not to everyone's taste, but I think "Drinking Song" is magnificent, albeit not sweet or pleasant. Does anyone have the complete lyrics? It begins: "Drunks are ?happy? when they're drunk and drunks are ?angry? when they're drunk/Which drunk it is, it all depends upon.

06 Aug 03 - 11:23 AM (#997956)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinking Song - Loudon Wainwright III
From: GUEST,Pinetop Slim

I'm not sure it's the same song, but some Wainwright rhymes leap to mind: Drinks before dinner, and drinks with dinner, and after dinner, drinks. (forgot the next part, then...) Single entendre, help me, Rhonda, find my glasses, please ... (another memory lapse, then) come with me, and you will see, that it will be all right, Rudolph the red-nosed wino, will guide our sleigh tonight."

06 Aug 03 - 11:35 AM (#997964)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinking Song - Loudon Wainwright III
From: Brakn

I'm after that one myself Bman.

Different song Slim.

06 Aug 03 - 08:33 PM (#998253)
Subject: Lyr Add: DRINKING SONG (Loudon Wainwright III)
From: GUEST,Bman

OK, I'll put in what I've got; the verses have a part a and a part b, and they don't seem to suggest that a certain part a goes with a certain part b, for the most part, so to speak. This song is from Loudon Wainwright III "Album III", the one with the notorious "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road", which I like very much. It's a highly uneven album (which I have on vinyl, not doing me any good at the moment since my stereo won't accomodate a turntable); some of the songs are very lightweight and some are wonderful.
What I'd like is to find out if someone can confirm what I've heard, fill in any holes, and verify which parts go together. Hopefully, some friendly Joe Clone can put in the line breaks for me.

Drunk men stagger, drunk men fall,/
Drunk men puke, and that's not all,/
Quite often, they will urinate outdoors./
Like widowed women, drunk men weep,/
Like children curled up, drunk men sleep,/
Like a dog, a drunk will crawl around on all fours./
But drink a toll will take,/
Blood vessels in the nose will break,/
Bags beneath the eyes, another sign./
Drunks will drink, and so it seems/
That drunkards go to great extremes,/
But there is yet to be a perfectly straight line./

Drunks are happy when they're drunk,/
And drunks are angry when they're drunk/
Which drunk it is, it all depends upon/
When drunks aren't drunk, they thirst for drink,/
And the elephants are grey, not pink;/
When the drink evaporates, the man is gone/
Back to the hip flasks and the fruit jars,/
The yachts and the subway cars,/
Flat on the back or flat on the behind./
Drunks get ugly, so it seems/
That drunkards go to great extremes,/
But there is yet to be a perfectly straight line./

Drunks talk strong, but drunks are weak;/
It's easy for a drunk to speak/
Straight from the heart./
Yes, and drunks will fight; they're not afraid,/
They'll kiss the mistress and make the maid;/
It's a manly art./
Be he broke bum or rich rake,/
His breakfast, be it bread or cake,/
His beverage be the worst of whiskey or finest wine./
Puke, it stinks, and so it seems/
That drunkards go to great extremes,/
But there is yet to be a perfectly straight line./

Upon writing out what I know, I find I was wrong about the first verse. Pleasant or not, I consider this song to be one of the best any modern American songwriter has ever produced, right up there with Jimmy Webb, Mose Allison, and Randy Newman, all national treasures as far as I'm concerned.

07 Aug 03 - 01:53 PM (#998459)
Subject: Chords Add: DRINKING SONG (Loudon Wainwright III)
From: Sorcha

That did it! 

Author/Artist: Loudon Wainwright III
  Title: Drinking Song
  Album: Album III
  Transcribed by: Ramsay Wallace
  Email: RamsayW1@aol.com    

Loudon seems to use a technique of alternating full & partial pressure on the chords to produce a type of palm muting effect with his strumming. This is similar to the version included on the Atlantic Recordings.    

A 577655  Asus4 575755  C#m 446654 D x00323 Dm x00231  D/G xx0033    

A                   Asus4
  Drunk men stagger, drunk men fall
  A                  Asus4
  Drunk men swear & that's not all
  C#m                               A
  Quite often drunks will urinate outdoors
  A                   Asus4
  Like widowed women drunk men weep
  A                       Asus4
  Like children curled up drunk men sleep
  C#m                                        A
  Like a dog a drunk will crawl about on all fours
  D
  Be it broke bum or rich rake
       Dm
  His dinner be it bread or cake
         D/G
  His beverage be the worst of whiskey, finest wine
  A                 Asus4
  Puke it stinks & so it seems
  A                  Asus4
  A drunkard goes to great extremes
  C#m                                          A
  But there has yet to be a perfectly straight line
                                                                               
  Drunks are strong & drunks are weak
  It's easy for a drunk to speak
  Straight from the heart
  Drunks will fight, their not afraid
  They'll kiss the mistress & make the maid
  Oh, but it's a manly art
  But it takes it toll on blood vessels & from there it will raise
  Bags beneath the eyes & other signs
  Drunks get ugly so it seems & drunks will go to great extremes
  But there has yet to be a perfectly straight line.    

Drunks are friendly when they're drunk
  And drunks are hostile when they're drunk
  Which drunk it is it all depends upon
  When drunk men drink they thirst they thirst for drink
  Their elephants are grey not pink
  When the drink evaporates the man is gone, gone, gone
  Back to the flats & the subway cars
  To the hip flasks & the fruit jars
  Flat on their face & flat on their backs
  Drunks get drunk & so it seems
  That drunks will go to great extremes
  But there has yet to be a perfectly straight line

From:http://www.thetabworld.com/Loudon_Wainwright__Drinking_Song_guitar_chord_51632/showtab.jsp

07 Aug 03 - 02:03 PM (#998469)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinking Song - Loudon Wainwright III
From: GUEST,cittern

Superb song writer in my opinion. Lyrics to "Last Man on Earth" posted in separate thread.

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk

07 Aug 03 - 09:06 PM (#998690)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinking Song - Loudon Wainwright III
From: GUEST,Bman

Outstanding; thank you very much.

09 Aug 03 - 04:20 AM (#999297)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinking Song - Loudon Wainwright III
From: GUEST,cowboydan

I'm interested in the one Pinetop Slim was quoting:
Drinks before dinner and wine with dinner and after dinner drinks

Later on, the song explains:
Sometimes when I drink too much the next day I can't think
Sometimes when I drink too much the next day I can't drink
Sometimes when I drink too much I throw up
Sometimes when I drink too much I just can't get it up