Title
Drunkard's Doom, Lyric Variant 01
Description
This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.
Subject
Folk songs--United States
Desertion and non-support--Songs and music
Binge drinking--Songs and music
Death--Songs and music
Alcoholism--Songs and music
Alternative Title
The Drunkard Doom
Publisher
W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University
Contributor
Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967
Transcription
The Drunkard
I saw a man at early dawn
Sitting round a grocery door
His eyes were sunk, his lips
Were parched
As I viewed him o'er and o'er.
A little boy stood by his side
And unto him did say:
Dear father, Mother's sick at home
And sister cries for bread
He turned around, went in at the door
And staggering up to the bar
He faltering unto the landlord said:
Just give me one drink more.
The host obeyed at this command
And again filled up the bowl
He drank while wife and children starved
And ruined his own soul
A year had elasped, I passed that way.
A crowd had gathered round.
I paused to ask the reason why
One replied, the drunkard is no more
I saw a hearse move slowly along.
No wife nor children were there,
They had gone before the murderer
And left this world of care.
Come all you jolly dram drinkers
by this a warning take
And quit the over flowing bowl
Before it is too late
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