Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 07:49 AM

Thanks, JohnB.

I remember David Parry very well, as a master storyteller and songster. He died all too young after one of the Mystic Sea Music Festivals.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: saulgoldie
Date: 26 Dec 11 - 10:37 PM

Yes, John Ciardi--"Good words to you..."

Saul

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: JohnB
Date: 26 Dec 11 - 10:07 PM

It is track 4 on the CD The Man From Eldorado by the (very unfortunately) late David Parry, who set it to music.
Along with much more excellent material.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Dec 11 - 08:33 PM

Jim-

That would seem to be the poem in question. Good catch!

Thanks.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Dec 11 - 07:56 PM

A poem beginning "Of vintage wine I am a lover" is published in Later Collected Verse by Robert W. Service (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1965), page 421.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Dec 11 - 07:07 PM

So can we safely date the Service poem to the World War 1 period? The link no longer works for the reference and I'm curious what the "unpublished poem's" reference is.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: Joe_F
Date: 22 Dec 11 - 06:06 PM

Ciardi.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Servic
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 08:46 PM

John Ciaradi (USA poet - from a muddeled memory bank and typed as recalled....while indulging his libation.)

Vodka, I hope you will note,
Is upwind, of all other essences.
Drink it all day, and drink it all night,
And even your aunt's minister can't track you to perdition
(Not even with his nose for it)
Must be defused...only a Russian can take it straight
And see what becomes of that.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

the newest "Mudcat meld" appears to sorting to a precise audience. MAX - If you were not hired the week you were fired .... someone is missing out on a whole rockpile of talent. You were honored with a vacation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 03:21 PM

Greg posted back in 2002.
The verse (or variations) appears in Perrow, and others, at least as early as 1915. I have not heard it as call and response.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Praise of Alcohol (Robert W Service)
From: GUEST,Megan O
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 11:19 AM

@ Greg Stephens: where did you get that call-and-response song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 09:35 PM

"I'd" seems to be the one. The text HERE is more reliable, with background info.

~Masato

This error corrected, too. --JoeClone, 7-Mar-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From:
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 09:13 PM

In the first verse, fifth line, should that start with "It's", rather than "I's"? Or? "I'd"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 09:03 PM

Nutty, thanks. The first one was my error.
~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: nutty
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 05:39 PM

I've found my book and checked the lyrics and see that we need to correct a couple of typing errors
The last line of verse two should read ..........
"by means of generous libation"

and the first line of verse three should be .......
"Alas, the wine-cups claim their payment"

What a great poem it is.

These errors corrected. --JoeClone, 7-Mar-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: nutty
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 12:15 PM

Thank you so much, masato ....I thought the words were vaguely familiar. I love Robert Service poetry and I do have the book.

Thanks again

Subject: Lyr Add: IN PRAISE OF ALCOHOL (Robert W. Service)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 11:37 AM

IN PRAISE OF ALCOHOL
(Robert W. Service)

Of vintage wine I am a lover;
To drink deep would be my delight;
If 'twere not for the bleak hangover
I'd get me loaded every night;
I'd whoop it up with song and laughter -
If 'twere not for the morning after.

For though to soberness I'm given
It is a thought I've often thunk:
The nearest that is Earth to Heaven
Is to get sublimely drunk;
Is to achieve divine elation
By means of generous libation.

Alas, the wine-cups claim their payment
And as the price if often pain,
if we could sense what morning grey meant
We never would get soused again;
Rather than buy a hob-nailed liver
I'm sure that we'd abstain for ever.

Yet how I love the glow of liquor,
As joyfully I drink it up!
hoping that unto life's last flicker
With praise I'll raise the ruby cup;
And let me like a jolly monk
Proceed to get sublimely drunk.

(Source: Unpublished Verse By Robert W. Service)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: MMario
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 10:51 AM

thread creep - greg - I am having to refresh my screen manually - seems like somewhere along the line the 'cat is getting cached - which is mucking things up a bit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: DebC
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 10:41 AM

It's a poem by Canadian poet Robert Service, music by david Parry.

Deb

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: GUEST,greg stephens
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 10:22 AM

funny, i keep signing in but the computer seems to think I'm a guest. Well here's a song with alcohol in, a sort of barbershoppy call and response type of thing. "And when I die don't you bury me at all/ Just pickle my bones in alcohol/ Put a bottle of booze at my head and feet/ And then I know my bones will keep/. could that be it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: nutty
Date: 05 Mar 02 - 03:09 AM

It could be an Ian Robb song ..... But it goes

Of vintage wine I am a lover
To drink deep would be my delight
If t'wer not for the bleak hangover
I'd get loaded every night

I'd whoop it up with songs and laughter
I'd whoop it up with songs and laughter
I'd whoop it up with songs and laughter
If it were not for the morning after

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: Joe_F
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 06:49 PM

Here's one that mentions alcohol by that name (from _The New Song Fest_, to the tune of "Drink to me only with thine eyes", rather dated:

Drink to me only with good hard cider,
Or rye, or a Scotch highball.
Drink to me with any old thing,
Just as long as it's alcohol.
For now that the wets have won the day,
And prohibition is through,
To drink to me only with thine eyes
Is a hell of a thing to do.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 04:58 PM

If it's "what's the use of drinking tea, indulging in sobriety and teetotal perversity, it's healthier to booze" - yes I do have the words, and indeed I sang it at Stony Stratford. But if not, I'm all agog to hear the song Nutty's thinking of...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In praise of Alchohol
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 04:54 PM

You'll have to be more specific. There are a lot of songs in praise of drink. I can't think of one that mentions the word alcohol, but its presence is generally fairly clearly implied.

Subject: In praise of Alchohol
From: nutty
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 03:36 PM

I'm have done a search but can't find the lyrics to this great song ....... I really empathise with it .
Could any kind soul help ......PLEASE???