Joe F mentioned above the classic 4-fold stages of drinking of Jocose, Morose, Bellicose and comatose. They are articulated in great detail in this song by Nova Scotian Alistair Macdonald (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up the chords):

The Jocose Drunkard

(Words by Alistair Macdonald ©
After the singing of Vince Morash, Nova Scotia, 1995
Tune: "Three Drunkard Maidens")

G---------D-G---C----G-----D-------G--D7-G
There is that jo-cose drunk-ard as you may com-pre-hend,
-----------D----G?C---G------D----G----D7-G
He?s full of jokes and laugh-ter, and every-one?s his friend;
---C---G---D-G?C---G-D---G?C-G?D-G-D
He slaps you on the back, me lads, and or-ders up a round,
----G---D-G---C----G-----D------G-D7-G
That jolly jo-cose drunk-ard's a pleasure to be found.


Chorus:

----C---G---C---G
And you raise your glass,
------C----G
Times have passed,
-------C?G-------C---G
And all the lads have gone home.

One drink beyond the jocose and then it's time for tears,
For now the drunkard is morose, he's crying in his beer;
He gets so sentimental, nostalgic and depressed,
He grieves for all he might've been and wails about the rest. (CHO)

But when the crying ceases, let the innocent beware,
For now the drunkard?s bellicose, with fighting spirit rare;
He loudly picks an argument and wildly swings his fist,
So bellicose a drunkard's a pleasure to be missed. (CHO)

The drunkard then becomes subdued, the liquor takes its toll,
For now the drunkard's comatose, 'tis said he's passed out cold;
These are the states of drunkenness through which we all may sink,
But, before we all are comatose ? there's time for one last drink!

One of my rude singing companions has suggested "vomitose" as a 5th stage but I really think 4 stages are quite sufficient. Of course, most of us hardly ever drink more than a couple of ales any more.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble