‘A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music. Some groups that have a tradition of singing drinking songs include rugby players, Hash House Harriers, air force fighter pilots, and fraternities.
‘The first record of a drinking song dates to the 11th century, and derives from the Carmina Burana, a 13th century historical collection of poems, educational songs, love sonnets and “entertainment” or drinking songs. It is accepted lore that drinking songs likely date back at least a thousand years earlier, but there is no established record.
‘Nearly every country enjoys its own extensive collection of drinking songs well known to its natives; most recognized are the English, German and Russian standards. There are dozens of subgenres of the drinking song, including regional, topical, religious, sexual and war. Notable subvariations include war songs (e.g. the American “Star Spangled Banner”, a poem Francis Scott Key, inspired by the battle of Fort McHenry, set to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heaven”) celebrating a particular battle or honoring a fallen troop or soldier, “hailing” songs, lauding a companion, and sexual or scatological songs typically denoting a romantic liaison or sexual act.’ — collaged
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Guided by Voices Sister I Need Wine
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Swans The Seed
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New Pornographers My Slow Descent into Alcoholism
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Lil Wayne Me and My Drank
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Against Me! Pints of Guinness Make You Strong (live)
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Marie Curie Middle School Youth Orchestra Farmer’s Drinking Song
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Drunken Boat Pool
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Gavin Friday William Butler Yeats’ The Drinking Song (live)
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Earth Lullabye (Take 2: How Dry I Am)
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Drunk Alice Cooper I’m Eighteen (live, ’71)
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Worf and Huraga Klingon Drinking Song
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The Replacements Here Comes a Regular
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Serge Gainsbourg No, No Thanks, No
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Sarcofago Alcoholic Coma
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The Kinks Demon Alcohol (live)
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David Frizzell I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home
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Sonic Youth Drunken Butterfly
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Gucci Mane (feat. Plies) Wasted
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Loudon Wainwright III Drinking Song
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Death Grips System Blower
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Randy Newman Guilty
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Guided by Voices Drinker’s Peace (live)
*
p.s. Hey. Blog reader Jill Locklin wrote to me a bit ago suggesting that we co-curate a gig of drinking songs. She thought that since she’s a big drinker and I basically don’t drink, the combo might create something subliminally schizoid or layered or something. I was game. We ponied up. The twain met and fused … seamlessly? Gig #30. That’s what resulted and what you get today. Please listen/watch and be like Jill or me or someone in between our poles today, thank you. And, of course, biggest thanks to Jill! Otherwise, I got my first okay night of sleep last night. If I get another one tonight, I’ll declare victory. Lss, you and I have improved access to my brain today, for better or worse. ** Ignacio, Hey, man! Welcome back to the online version of the world. I’m really glad you thought the post was okay, and I’m really glad the excellent feedback was a plus. Nick’s show got cancelled? That sucks. Great to hear about the progress on the novel and that you’ve got a helpful, tuned-in editor. That’s a fairly rareish boon. Oh, yeah, I’d love a copy of the book, yes, great, thanks! My address: c/o Centre International des Recollets, 150 rue du Faubourg St. Martin, 75010 Paris, France. Thanks a ton, Todd! Love, me. ** Pascal, Hi, P. I don’t mind the flying itself so much, except for the cramping of my unfortunately long legs, but I hate the airport and getting to/from the airport parts. Lag has maybe begun its begging off act, I hope. I’m so sorry to hear that about your mum. Hugs, and very best wishes to her and to you. An offering for my blog from you would be absolutely wonderful and most helpful, man, thank you so much! Yeah, there’s def. great stuff in ‘WSS’. She can’t help it. It’s just more, I don’t know, evened out or something, but yeah. May you blossom in accordance with my wishes for your blossoming. ** Misanthrope. Sincerity is the best spectator sport for sure. And to give is better than to receive, as Oral Roberts should have known. Okay, that kind of talk to Sypha is why you get thrown out of parties, man. Reflect. ** Allesfliesst, Holy shit, it’s the Buddha’s face in my face! And what a fascinating face it is. Do his eyes really look like that in real life? One could die in them. It’s true: if I had seen that face before I made that post, I would have titled it ‘207 artists try to draw the Buddha’. Anyway, his high status is now understood. You used to draw comics? Scan a few of those, why don’t you? I used to do that too, but mine weren’t worth the homework whose backsides they were laboriously scribbled on. Joy Williams is completely killer. I’m so glad to hear that you’ve dug into her. She is one of the very best sentence makers in the whole United States. It is weird about the getting up versus going under thing. But I guess people in comas would disagree. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi! You did mention that you saw it, yeah. It being the Bigelow, I mean. Very interested to see it. Melville-like, whoa. Even more so now. ** 5STRINGS, Butor, cool. He’s actually doing a rare reading here in Paris next week, and I’m thinking of going even though I will be utterly lost due to my French impairment just so I can look at him. And I’m seeing a representation of him in Christophe Honore’s play ‘Nouveau Roman’ tomorrow night. So, it’s Butor-ville over here. Nah, no porn on Ubuweb yet unless what’s-his-butt counts. I can’t remember his name. The blood ritual guy. And that isn’t porn. So, not yet. Watch the Falcon Pacs, especially or even only the late 70s and early 80s ones. Balls are very melancholy, it’s true. I should write an Ode to them. Everyone should. Maybe his head will explode. Or maybe he’ll spontaneously combust. Or maybe Bigfoot will kill and eat him. I hope for one of those things if you hope for one of those things. ** Steevee, You’ve got me, about the Melatonin ban. I have no clue. Makes zero sense. Now I am completely certain that I will not bother seeing ‘Lincoln.’ It sounds like hell. Thank you for warding me off, Steve. And that new configuration for your list does sound both very interesting and more doable. Fingers crossed. ** Sypha, Oh, see, I didn’t know or remember that there’s a genre called ‘weird fiction’, okay. Well, even though porn acts like it represents sex, it doesn’t, so never trust a porn photo the way you should never trust the photos of hotel rooms on Expedia. I was going to say it seems more like you’re not erotically into body orifices in general very much. But you might be surprised. I sure was. I think everybody is? ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. I need to go stream that TG album. I’m not ready to spring for it straight off for some reason. Those are really nice official photos of the YnY thing! Really clear and telling. Everyone, listen to _B_A and do what he says for your own good and well being: ‘The DCA is showing a display of artists’ books for Book Week Scotland and Yuck ‘n Yum is right there in the middle of it. After my own rather underexposed efforts last week I’m happy to present a batch of official documentation.’ Sweet, B! Art glitterati photos would be swell! ** Cobaltfram, Google loves to hate-fuck comments, especially lately. Sorry. Speed? Uh, I did more than my fair share of time in the trenches of speed years ago, and I had an immune system like a dandelion for years afterwards to show for it, so I’m done with speed, I think. Anyway, I seem to be slightly better today. Uh, hm, maybe about the narrator vs. character thing, but I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about it. It’ll sell, it’s just when and to whom, but, yeah, the selling is when the real stress begins. Hang in. I’ve heard of ‘Dark Souls’, not sure about ‘Demon Souls’. What system? If it’s not Wii or computer, I’ll never know. ** Flit, Oh, okay, not a calendar, that’s fine. That was just my mental haze typing yesterday. A week in advance would be excellent. Thank you again. Hypnagog and bore are fuzzily proximate. Yeah, keep your senses upstanding. You will. You’re like that. ** Postitbreakup, Hey. Oh, no, the Lish edited project is news to me, but, yeah, I guess people think he’s just a hell of an editor. That’s what I hear. So, sounds sweet, one supposes. If tonight goes as well as last night, I’ll have no need of Jesus’ permission for anything. Not that I ever have. Dude’s just a proto-Kardashian to me. I hope you don’t. ** Chris Dankland, Hi, Chris! Yeah, manga is giant. Here in France too, or maybe even especially here. There are manga stores all over the place. And they have manga conventions like the one in ‘TMS’ all the time here. I’ve read some, not a lot, but they were really cool and experimental, even if Japanese people I know say that what I see as experimental in manga and anime is totally traditional in Japan. When my work was trendy in Japan for a couple of years back in the ’90s, a bunch of underground manga based on my stuff were published over here. They’re in LA. I should’ve scanned them when I was home. I don’t know ‘A Drifting Life’. Huh. It sounds kind of like a must, if one wants to get an actual knowledge of manga under one’s belt, and I do, even if I don’t know where I’ll find the time. Anyway, blah blah, I’ll look for it. There’s a good manga/ anime/ action figure store right down the street from me. Yeah, I read that about Philip Roth retiring. I guess my first thought was that he’s really old, so it didn’t seem that strange to me. I’ve never been a real fan of his writing, but I agree with you about his taste and taste-making efforts, yeah. Forefronting Kis, Schultz, etc. was a great thing for him to have done. That crabby nonsense about no one reading fiction anymore soon is such semi-senile and self-serving crap, I agree. Same with the anti-eBook thing. I find those prejudices and mis-analyses just embarrassing. May I join you for an eye roll, in other words? My lag is just a kind of a light fizzing this morning, so maybe just maybe I’m through it. Great day, man! ** Casey Hannan, Good morning, Casey Hannan! And how are you on this fine, crisp, icy Paris morning wherever you are? Ha ha, awesome. Witch! Get thee behind me, witch! Shoo! Just kidding. That was good. Your thing was good, mine wasn’t, I mean. Oh, wow, good question. Uh … If I’m not personally responsible for keeping the walls clean, I choose wallpaper. Otherwise, paint, I think. Although you can do amazing things with paint these days, actually. And if I was going to choose from all the possible options, I think I would choose rear projection. You know, walls like light boxes. Like in Charlize Theron’s quarters in the spaceship in ‘Prometheus’. What do you think? Do you like the rear projection walls idea? Be honest. ** Joakim Almroth, Hi, J! Yeah, LA actually has a longstanding good to sometimes great techno scene. It always has. I think it’s all that space and all those old factories and warehouses and buildings and stuff. Well, plus good artists making things there. LA just fucking rules when it comes to making new stuff that qualifies as art in some respect or other. LA has ‘the new’ in its pocket always. That’s all I can say. Seeing is believing. I would like to check out The Office or any of those kinds of things. I really want to come to Stockholm. I guess I’ll wait until it’s not terrifyingly cold unless I end up there on Gisele business in the meantime. Let’s talk. Uh, later today or maybe tomorrow, You around? Love from the quasi-Parisian. ** Changeling, Hey there! Nice to see you! I know, I totally agree about the manga hair. You ever gone to one of those manga/ anime conventions? People try so hard to get that ‘hair’ into/onto their real hair. It’s very touching, but there’s not enough hairspray in the world, I fear. You mean that being fisted makes you drowsy or fisting someone makes you drowsy? Or both? I like the off-button idea. Like the Vulcan death grip without the death part. I wonder if there’s a secret off-button on the human hand. I’d like to see a porn where the guy fisting and the guy getting fisted fall asleep right in the middle. That would be very sweet. I’d rather see that than a cat meme. How are you? ** The End for today. I suggest you drink or don’t drink and spend some of your time today imbibing drinking songs, but I would say that, wouldn’t I? See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Hey!
Cool idea for a day, guys. I shall check some of these out through out the day. Though Swans is duly represented here, I thought I would throw in Mssr. Gira's 'You See Through Me', from Drainland. It's kind of just a recording Jarboe made of Mike when he was drunk, senselessly arguing with her about his alcohol addiction. It is quite harrow and fucked up and all brutal & lovely at the same time, and well, is it even a song? Anyway, just thought it was a very apt selection to go with this already brimming-with-awesomeness collection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeNc4tI5km8
So what else? How have you been DC? All good here – working and reading and sleeping and pretty much permanently suffering from some kind of bug or flu or ailment, but yeah. Just got done watching AR-G's Gradiva for the first time which was kind of cool to finally see it, even though it didn't really do as much for me as most of his other films. 'Glissements' is still probably my favourite. Have you see Gradiva, DC, or any of you?
Have a good day, all! M
Dennis, Good day with Ms. Locklin. I'll give a listen when I get home. But I like the theme.
I'm reflecting. I'm not thrown out, am I? This is my last refuge. Otherwise, I'm confined to my brain and "liking" puppy and kitten photos on FB. That can't be a good thing.
How funny that Oral Roberts' first name was Oral, you know? That kind of tells you all you need to know.
Hi Dennis and Ms Locklin,
Thank you for the stuff! I raise you both Basehead's "Ode To My Favourite Beer": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8eU_Nr3rco
Concerning fisting, I'm going to nonchalantly set this down here.
The end of the week is looking possible. I have the place to myself for the next couple of days – my better half has headed up the coast – so I've been doing wild and crazy far-out things like paying the electricity bill, and I'm going to go straight back now and get my shoulder to the wheel.
I think going via LA could be the ticket for Brazil … I'm obsessed with Brasilia right now.
Short interview with Jack Black and Richard Linklater about gospel music
Hey Jill & DC You forgot "The PHilosopher's Song"!
And here's The Chairman of the Board with one by the great Johnny Mercer.
Maybe you and Jill thought Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools (Drank)" was too obvious, as it's currently a big hit in the U.S., but I would've included it.
I will definitely be doing the 2012 political documentary list for Fandor.
@ Jill Locklin & DC, fun day indeed. I haven't been drunk in ages. Well, not for weeks anyway. Soon be Christmas however, so that should bring my alcohol intake back up to a sensible Scottish level.
Got a nice pic tonight of top Dundee art glitterati here!
Hello Dennis! I am really enjoying your blog posts, I finally finished the George Miles Cycle (have ordered more of your books already) and afterwards I just got lost in this blog, it is fascinating! Interestingly, this post comes after a horrendous night of drinking too much, I am glad I didn't have this collection of drinking songs or I probably would've drunk even more, if that's possible. I thought I'd also say that you've inspired me greatly with your writing style and after reading closer I wrote a song about my more darker experiences called Flood and so yeah thank you! Is it very time consuming to write in this every day? Bravo for keeping it up!
Great concept and collection Jill and DC! First other one that popped into my head was 'Suicide Solution'. And glad to hear the lags are loosening, Dennis. I've tried drinking through them before, which brings a couple of bright points, but doesn't make much difference. I figure five days and you're pretty much free.
Hey Dennis, you got my Le Petit Mac-Mahon Triple feature, right?
Heya D,
I was going to write a mini-review of 'Lincoln' and then went back and read Steevee's opinion and was like, "oh, he wrote it for me, how thoughtful." It really is just achingly unbearable, and grows more unbearable the further I grow from seeing it. Hoping to see 'Killing Them Softly' tomorrow; my homeboy Ebert wasn't a fan, but it's scoring well on Rotten Tomatoes, which means there's something going on with it.
Jill and Dennis – Great range and variety of drinking songs. Never thought of a number of these songs in that context, but I expect they'll be in my head next time I belly up to a bar. Good fun.
Dennis – Have you heard the new sort of Throbbing Gristle "Desertshore' remake? Disappointed they did it without Genesis who undoubtably would've brought distinctively other to the vocals and approach. I read somewhere there are some early rehearsals floating around of him singing the album with them?
How's the new GBV? Where does it stack up for you with the other releases from the reunited crew?
Life seems to be conspiring to keep me from doing much writing – a thousand distractions. Wondering if I need to temporarily unplug to get some work done.
Hope your jetlag vanishes completely.
Chilly Jay Chill, wait a second, are you saying that Gen isn't a part of that new TG album at all? If that was so and I had known that, maybe I would not have been so quick to order it: a TG album without Gen strikes me as barely even being a TG album.
Not sure how to comment to today's topic: the appeal of drinking is foreign to me. I've never been drunk in my entire life, in fact I've never even consumed a drop of an alcholic beverage: which makes my last name ironic.
@Sypha–The new "TG" album actually isn't even being billed as a TG album. Officially, the band name is X-TG. I got it today, and Gen's name is entirely missing from the album credits. Her contributions seem to have been scrapped. That dispute aside, I thought both discs were pretty strong, although I preferred DESERTSHORE.
steevee, yes, I was just reading about that after I posted my comment. Kind of sad, I think. I was really hoping for a more fitting finale for the band than the "Part Two: Endless Not" album, but ah well. I guess I'll just have to accept it for what it is.
It's especially sad, since judging from Gen's public comments about the album, she and Chris & Cosey now hate each other.
However, on the bright side, the liner notes mention that a live album will be released from the final 2010 shows performed by the original TG lineup.
hey dennis!!
awesome day! can't wait to get drunk and listen to 'em 🙂
how've you been???
LA must've been great i'm sure… what ended up being the culinary highlight?
Oh I just started talking to AA Bronson a little bit! He messaged me on BUTT after I friended him and I sent him a 'zine as well! He's going to be in Art Basel along with Scott so maybe i'll get to see one or even both of them!!! Just gotta deal with work scheduling….
speaking of scheduling! luke will be in paris the 4th-11th and he's very very excited as i'm sure you can imagine 🙂
He's gonna start figuring out what he should be doing since he's going to be there way longer than I was…
Haven't seen too many cool movies lately… i did go see the new twilight movie as is the strange tradition i have with going to see them in the movie theatre and thought it was ok… we went to it super stoned… so i think almost anything action-y is enjoyable… but the added awkward teenage sexuality made it a lot better!
alright time to head to bed… but yeah sorry i haven't been in in a while…. right now our new plan is that we're going to move in january so right now luke is looking at colleges and i'm looking at jobs and then we'll probably look at cost-of-living-to-how-much-do-we-really-wanna-live-there ratios and figure out where to go!
hope you've been awesome!
xxfrank
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whoa whoa whoa hey dennis! my drink n my 2 step is a must for drinking songs! it's a real anthem. good for speeding along a dark, curvy, two-lane highway at ~midnight looking for a party in a car full of people you don't want to talk to.
i really like the 207 artists post! those would be fun to hang in a bathroom or something. is there anything especially exciting about your bathroom?
hey i might be getting over my "writers block" or laziness or something, that's exciting! and scary, i don't want to jinx it.
have you ever explained what you enjoy about your blog/what you like about your reader's comments? i'm sure some are great and it's really enjoyable for you, i just always feel so bratty coming by at my whim, complaining about stupid shit. & then out of responding-to-all-your-comments-protocol you are "forced" to respond or something! it's such a weird interaction. at least i pay my therapist that feels cleaner. what do you want from me!
in the meantime, i assume you're really dyyyyying for a link to the most incredible album by this true beauty, Saskia
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IBbSFKOoJ_w/UCUFlVU6fdI/AAAAAAAAFmg/CjyeV7i6SFE/s1600/Naamloos.jpg
i really want you to download this and listen to the first song and tell me what you think. i think she's a soothsayer trembling genius!
http://433rpm.blogspot.com/2012/08/saskia-eeuwig-op-reis-tape-198.html
connie converse is probably walking the path to freedom with her, staring at the silver line
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Hello Dennis, Instead of Walser the Walk day, I'd love to do a day on E. M. Cioran's 'A Short History of Decay, if you don't mind. My head has been growing heretic-ish & elitist-ishly insubmissive, nowadays, and I feel connected to Cioran's writing in many senses. Also, Richard Howard translation is gorgeous. I just love the book. With this book, My head spins nicely with all collapsing knowledge and thoughts of things. I am sure you don't mind it. Anyhow, Love you, Dennis. thought I would not be able to write a love to you. Just something benumbs me all around. I don't take a medicine or drugs. Just something, maybe a season turns cold in me. maybe, a marigold tea lulls and removes me. Further, I am looking forward to looking at a large snow garden in Buffalo, and it would be better for all –h
earth's thrones and dominions has another sorta secret drinking song as the epic tibetan quaaludes was originally titled tequila and quaaludes. anyway, hi dennis.
hello,
like the drinking songs, I'll have to listen to some more. I used to drink way too much probably and it got me in to weird situations. like I entered someone's house and started instructing them how to fix their blinds. they just watched the news. I'm delivering all sorts of food, general fast food stuffs. it's ok, I get to talk to people in a new context.
I'll check those places out you mentioned.
I'm really excited to see LA and any chance to meet different people. do you think we'll meet aliens soon? that's what I wonder. ha, do you think it'll suck like district 9 or be wild like the ET ride finale?
thanks about the messy writing. I'll take your word for it.
hope all is well and you recover soon.