The Alcoholic Blues 1919

James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 24 Jun 2004

I love my country, 'deed I do,
but oh, that war has made me blue.
I like fightin', that's my name,
but fightin' is the least
about the fightin' game.
When Mister Hoover said
to cut my dinner down,
I never even hesitate,
I never frown;
I cut my sugar, I cut my coal,
but now they dug deep in my soul.

I've got the blues, I've got the blues,
I've got the alcoholic blues.
No more beer, my heart to cheer;
Goodbye whiskey,
you used to make me frisky.
So long highball, so long gin;
oh, tell me, when you comin' back agin?
Blues, I've got the blues,
Since they amputated my booze
Lordy, lordy, war is, well, you know,
I don't have to tell
Oh, I've got the alcoholic blues,
some blues.

I've got the blues, I've got the blues,
I've got the alcoholic blues.
No more beer, my heart to cheer;
Goodbye whiskey,
you used to make me frisky.
So long highball, so long gin;
oh, tell me, when you comin' back agin?
Blues, I've got the blues,
Since they amputated my booze
Lordy, lordy, war is, well, you know,
I don't have to tell
Oh, I've got the alcoholic blues,
some blues.

Prohibition, that's the name,
Prohibition drives me insane.
I'm so thirsty, soon I'll die,
I'm simply goin' to 'vaporate,
I'm just that dry.
I wouldn't mind to live forever in a trench,
Just if my daily thirst
they only let me quench;
And not with Bevo or ginger ale
I want real stuff by the pail.

I've got the blues, I've got the blues,
I've got the alcoholic blues.
No more beer, my heart to cheer;
Goodbye whiskey,
you used to make me frisky.
So long highball, so long gin;
oh, tell me, when you comin' back agin?
Blues, I've got the blues,
Since they amputated my booze
Lordy, lordy, war is, well, you know,
I don't have to tell
Oh, I've got the alcoholic blues,
some blues.

I've got the blues, I've got the blues,
I've got the alcoholic blues.
No more beer, my heart to cheer;
Goodbye whiskey,
you used to make me frisky.
So long highball, so long gin;
oh, tell me, when you comin' back agin?
Blues, I've got the blues,
Since they amputated my booze
Lordy, lordy, war is, well, you know,
I don't have to tell
Oh, I've got the alcoholic blues,
some blues.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
The Alcoholic Blues 1919
Lyrics by Edward Laska
Music by Albert von Tilzer
© MCMXIX by Broadway Mus.Corp. N.Y.
*
sequence and karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Thursday 24 June 2004 at 12.30
in association with Doug Grierson
*