There are at least two barbershop arrangements of Saloon, Saloon, Saloon.
The melody singer sings and holds the obvious last word while the
other parts sing the echo in (the echo in parentheses).

Saloon -- A Tender Ballad
------ 1919, 1920, 1921 [I kept finding various dates]
Words by George Whiting
Music by Roland E. Llab (Ernest R. Ball)


Verse 1:
I've been looking through the dictionary
For a word that's always running through my (run-ning through my mind).
Though I love the name of Mother, I was looking for another,
And I must confess that word I cannot (word I cannot find).
Can it be that all its glories are forgotten,
And it's buried with the language of the (lan-guage of the Greek)?
If it is 'twill ever linger in my mem'ry
As the first word that I heard my daddy (heard my daddy speak).

Chorus 1:
Saloon, Saloon, Saloon (saloon).
It runs through my brain like a (brain like a tune).
I don't like cafe, And I hate cabaret,
But just mention saloon and my cares fade away.
For it brings back a fond recollection
of a little old low ceiling (low ceiling room).
With a bar, and a rail, and a dime, and a, (sploosh), pail.
Saloon, saloon, saloon.

Verse 2:
I can picture swinging doors wide open.
I can almost see the sawdust on the (sawdust on the floor).
And I dream of pals and cronies drinking highballs, steins and ponies,
I can see the name of (*)"Ehret" on the (Ehret on the door).
But the free lunch counter now is but a mem'ry,
It has vanished with the joys we used to (joys we used to know).
Never more we'll hear that old familiar parting:
Just one drink, boys, just one more, before we (more before we go).

Chorus 2:
Saloon, Saloon, Saloon.
Have you been forgotten (for-got-ten so soon).
You nestled so sweet in that little side street,
So respected, protected by cops on the beat.
Since you've left us the world seems in darkness,
like a cloud passing over the (o-ver the moon).
No more joys in my life, no more lies to my, (gasp), wife. Saloon, saloon, saloon.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(*) alternates: "I can see the sign says 'Enter' on the door."
"I can see the name of 'Coo-ors' on the door."
A little internet search turned up the info that:
Ehret was not the name of a saloon, it was the top selling American
beer at the turn of the century (1900, not 2000), from German immigrant
George Ehret's Hell Gate Brewery near the East River in
New York City, between 3rd & 2nd Aves, and 91st & 94th
Streets. It would be like having a sign of "Coors" or
"Fat Tire" on the door.
(If you're not from Colorado, USA, it might be like having a sign
of "Guinness", or "Foster's", or "Labatt", "Beck's" ...)

I guess this is really a song about drinking, rather than a
drinking song, as such. Remembering all the words might be
a challenge while imbibing.

=//= ketchdana