Father's a Drunkard, Lyric Variant 02

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.

Folk songs--United States

Alcoholism--Songs and music

Desertion and non-support--Songs and music

Fathers and songs--Songs and music

Death--Songs and music

AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967

PDF

English

Text

A Drunkard

When I was lad, I had a bad dad,
I mean he was bad in a way,
Every nickle and cent for liquor he spent,
Till death came and stole him away.
Chorus.
"Flowers, boquets of flowers," I cry.
I may not look neat
While walking the street,
While working for Mother and I.

My mother took sick, they said she would die,
But to bear all her troubles she strove.
She called me to her bed, what do you recon she said?
To meet her in Heaven above.

Oh, tell me a man who never did wrong,
Who never stayed out at night,
Who stayed at his home and minded his own,
And rocked his dear children to sleep.

113_FathersADrunkard_Lyric_02