Drinking songs, particularly those having to do with beer, have been around for a long
time. They were most popular in the eighteen hundreds when the number of songs was
almost equal to the number of people drinking.
Initially, it seemed as though singing and drinking was simply merrymaking. People got
together to share their favorite spirits and partake in song. Investigating further,
however, it seems that the singing was an attempt to stem the tide of overindulgence.
Drinking songs offered the drinker a break from the monotonous glass-to-mouth routine;
singing often slowed the heavy drinker down, and gave the light drinker a chance to
catch their breath.
Now it seems that drinking songs have diminished substantially. On this page, we'll
introduce you to some of the old songs, and hopefully help you think of some new ones.
The miller's big dog lay on the barn floor, And Bingo was his name;
B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,
Bingo was his name.
B-I-N-G-O,
Bingo was his name.
Here's to good old Brown, drink it down;
Here's to good old Brown, drink it down;
Here's to good old Brown, She's the jolliest place in town;
Drink it down, drink it down, drink it down, down, down.
Here's to good old Yale, drink it down, drink it down
Here's to good old Yale, drink it down, drink it down.
Here's to good old Yale, She's so hearty and so hale
drink it down, drink it down
drink it down, down, down.
Balm of Gilead, Gilead,
Balm of Gilead, Gilead,
Balm of Gilead,
way down on the Bingo farm.
We won't go home anymore, We won't go home anymore,
We won't go home anymore,
Way down on the Bingo farm
Bingo, Bingo, Bingo, Bingo, Bingo, Bingo,
Way down on the Bingo farm.
B-I-N-G-O