{"id":19771,"date":"2023-04-16T15:31:53","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T15:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=19771"},"modified":"2025-12-11T07:27:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T07:27:27","slug":"glorious-beer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/glorious-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"Glorious Beer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Beer, Beer, Glorious Beer<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1895<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Steve Leggett \/ Will Godwin<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN32457<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Anderson<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Keeping Family; England : London; 1930s-50s
Modern performances<\/strong>
Endless Music Hall Revival and pub sing along recordings..<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Now I won't sing of sherbet and water\nFor sherbet and beer will not rhyme\nThe workingman can't afford champagne\nIt's a bit more than two D's a time\nSo I'll sing you a song of a gargle\nA gargle that I love so dear\nI allude to that grand institution\nThat beautiful tonic called beer, beer, beer.\n\nBeer, Beer, glorious beer\nFill yourselves right up to here\nDrink a good deal of it; make a good meal of it\nStick to your old fashioned beer\nDon't be afraid of it, drink till you're made of it\nNow all together, a cheer\nUp with the sale of it, down with a pail of it\nGlorious, glorious beer.\n<\/em>\nIt's the daddy of all lubricators\nThe best thing there is for the neck\nCan be used as a gargle or lotion\nBy persons of every sect\nNow we know who the goddess of wine was\nBut was there a goddess of beer?\nIf so, let us drink to her health, boys\nAnd wish that we'd just got her here, here, here.\n\nSo up, up with the brandies and sodas\nBut down, down and down with the beer\nIt's good for you when you are hungry\nYou can eat it without any fear\nSo mop up the beer while you're able\nOf four-half lets all have our fill\nAnd I know you'll all join me in wishing\nGood luck to my dear Uncle Bill, Bill, Bill.\n\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A hit  song throughout the English-speaking world in the 1890s, remembered by Charles Keeping\u2019s family in the mid 20th century, but otherwise not formally collected from traditional singers. The popularity of the song may explain why it was not collected – its just a song “everyone” knows. The chorus  persisted as a popular drinking song throughout the 2oth century, sung by students and servicemen, in pubs and at sports fixtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was originally performed by Harry Anderson <\/strong>(1857-1918) one of a number of comics popular in the 1890s who sang in praise of booze. Glorious beer<\/em> was his most successful song, and its popularity was and is such that it has been described as an unofficial English national anthem\u2026 H Chance Newton described him as a favourite chirruper, rough but always rollicking, who carried the ballad called <\/em>Beer Glorious Beer throughout the country like some conquering hero.<\/em> His other hits included: Jolly Good Company<\/em>,  Drink Up Boys! <\/em> and It’s nice to have a home of your own<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recording or download of this song can be purchased from Windyridge CDs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
An American recording from 1899:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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