By Tony Attwood
Previously in this series:
So we move on to Bob’s programme on Drinking (episode 3) which was first broadcast on 17 May 2006, and the nex song we come to is “Ain’t Got no Money to Pay for this Drink”. It is noted as being recorded by George Zimmerman and the Thrills in 1956. Except a photograph of the record has a different spelling…. and the name of the composer/singer seems to vary through Zimmeran, Zimmerman, Zimmeran…
Which in the end can be thought of as somewhat close to Robert Allen Zimmerman who of course these days we know as Bob. One also finds references to Frank Armstrong as the composer, but he, like Zimeran, is impossible to find in the various histories of music that one tends to trust.
So was Bob having some fun with us – did he write it, did he play on this track, was this an early demo Bob made? All we have is the lack of evidence of anything else, and the similarity of names, nothing mjore. So maybe it is all just my imagination. But it still is rather curious that a song Bob should choose is one that leads us to such a brick wall via a name so similar to his original name.
And if I may add a personal note here, when I do find myself without an answer, I do get some readers kindly writing to me saying “That was definitely by xxxx” but not citing any evidence or at least a website with more background information. That, in fact, is what we have with this song, but no one anywhere cites any helpful source material.
Mr. D.’s’ friend misquotes Freewheelin’ Franklin of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers who famously said, “Dope will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no dope.” Variations on the phrase use “weed,” “beer,” and Jack Sparrow’s noting that “Rum will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no rum,” in Pirates of the Caribbean.
I am left pondering, so I move on. Next up came by the Electric Flag which came out in 1967 – it is a straight rocking 12 bar blues….
This song is an adaptation of an adaptation of Sticks McGhee‘s “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee” titled “Wine”, although I don’t think Bob mentioned this.
As a person who has earned much of his living from writing, I do find issues like this interesting, and I would say (and of course I am not a lawyer) there is a lot of similarity between the two songs, which suggests a possible breach of copyright. But of course, I don’t have a full set of data – if the original was a song that is classified as traditional, then no one owns the copyright of the song – only the arrangement.
But I meander of course, and to return to the son,g I have to say with some pleasure that finally we get to a song that isn’t a 12 bar blues – “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin” is still based on the three major chords of popular music, but not in that absolutely fixed routine of the 12 bar blues. But in addition, this song has a simple modulation which really gives it a completely extra feel.
I find this quite fascinating, as this song sounds a long way away from the harsh drinking songs with their three chords. The fourth chord, which causes a modulation to a second key, gives a different feel, away from that harshness, into the sympathetic and hard-done-by view of the lady singing the song.
I find this strange – why do we associate this particular chord sequence as more sympathetic and understanding, and the solid 12-bar blues as much harsher?
In terms of emotional pull, Dylan then took us down to a lower level – by which I simply mean I really can’t stand this next song. We’re still on the three chords, but the emotional pull turns me off totally. Not, I would hasten to add, through anything within my own experience (my parents would have the occasional sip of sherry if the occasion demanded it, but nothing more, and in my earlier days my pals would have a laugh at the moderate way I took alcohol – which is still the case in terms of consumption but not in terms of laughing).
But I can be a bit more positive about the singer. He had a TV show, reasonably enough known as The Peter Wagoner Show, which introduced Dolly Parton to audiences in the late 1960s, and for some years the two singers performed together.
Quite amazingly, Wagoner is reported to have had over 80 hit singles across the 1950s and the next three decades, and was of course, with that level of record success elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame
And I suppose I am just biased – I do like wine, but just don’t see the point of drinking to excess or celebrating a particular drink (mine’s a merlot if you are interested.) But I am working my way through the songs Bob chose for his show, and I’ll finish today with one more on the same theme – which is called “I Drink”. Bob gave us two songs – one by Mary Gauthier and one by Charles Aznavour.
He'd get home at 5-30, fix his drinkSit down in his chairPick a fight with mamaComplain about us kids getting in his hair At night he'd sit alone and smokeI'd see his frown behind his lighter's flameNow that same frown's in my mirrorI got my daddy's blood inside my veins
I drink to drive away all the years I have hated The ambitions frustrated that no longer survive I drink day after day to the chaos behind me Yes, I drink to remind me that still I'm alive So I give you a toast to the endless confusions To the lies and delusions that have swallowed my life Yes, I give you a toast to the wine and the roses To the deadly cirrhosis that can cut like a knife
And here I do think Bob has done something very clever – I do hope you can listen to these songs and as they used to say in English literature exams (and probably other places too) “Compare And Contrast”.
But quite where Bob was taking us in this episode I am really not yet sure.
More later….