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“If you drink, don’t drive. Don’t even putt.” – Dean Martin

There are certain days out of the year that are made explicitly for the sole purpose of drinking. Saint Patrick’s Day, where everyone is Irish, no matter what, and all the alcohol Ireland has to offer is up for grabs.  Cinco de Mayo, for those of us that feel like donning a sombrero and flexing our high school Spanish knowledge. Not satisfied with just one day, those of the German persuasion get 16 in a row…Oktoberfest. Yet, there is one day out of the year that is universal with most cultures that is practically synonymous with drinking. New Year’s Eve.

With ‘social events’ held throughout the world to witness the passing of the old year into the new, New Year’s Eve is ripe for alcoholic refreshments. Usually champagne is served, especially for that countdown toast, but drinks of all types make the scene on this night. And…with most of the working world having the following day off, it is the perfect night to indulge almost to excess.

Now, I am not sanctioning getting drunk on New Year’s Eve. Personally, I never really saw the point in becoming too inebriated to remember the night before, and therefore never really got drunk. However, let’s be sensible here. About 90% of people out there are going to drink on this night, regardless. So, why not have a soundtrack while doing it?

The following are songs dealing with the concept of drinking.   A lot of these are favorites from friends and relatives responding to my Twitter/Facebook status the other day asking what drinking songs people liked.  Others are my own offering, spewed forth from my own mind and from a couple days of listening to random streaming internet stations.  The list below is  in no particular order.  It is just what springs to mind first.

1.  Afroman – Let’s All Get Drunk:  Continuing along the same lines as his hit 2001 song “Because I Got High”, Afroman offers an inside view to a typical single man’s life.   Go out on Friday to the club, have some fun and drink enough liquid courage to forget about the consequences.

2.  Traditional – Johnny Jump Up:  According to some, this Irish folk song was written to try to increase sales of cider for a pub/brewery in Cork City, Ireland in the 1940′s.  Although there is no collaboration to prove that, one thing is certain.  There is such a drink called a Johnny Jump Up, which is usually apple cider with a shot (or more) of whiskey.  This calls back to WWII when old whiskey barrels were used to store fresh cider.   The cider pulled the spirit from the wood of the barrels, making a potent concoction sure to send the person drinking it to heaven.

3.  Toby Keith – Get Drunk and Be Somebody:  Released in 2006 and reaching #3 on the country charts, Toby Keith’s anthem to the working man speaks to using alcohol to escape from the mundane aspects of a thankless day job.  Come Friday night, right after getting paid, it is time to unwind and let loose…to be noticed and be somebody.

4.  Buck-O-Nine – Irish Drinking Song:  Starting to pick up a pattern here?  Released in 1994 in the album Songs in the Key of Bree, this particular song is usually attributed (incorrectly) to the Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly (just check YouTube!).   However, it was Buck-O-Nine, a ska punk band from San Diego, that gave us this gem celebrating two things that men, Irish or not, love to do…drinking and fighting.

5.  Traditional – Beer, Beer, Beer:  Originally thought to have first started on Royal Navy ships, this song soon spread to the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and, of course, Ireland.  Various versions of this lively tune, praising Charlie Mopps – the mythical inventor of beer, have been recorded since the 1950′s.  The version linked here comes out of the PS2/XBox/PC video game The Bard’s Tale (2004), with Cary Elwes voicing the titular character.  I don’t know about you, but Cary Elwes + video games + traditional drinking songs = major win in my book.

6.  Beastie Boys – Brass Monkey:  Since I am writing, I get to indulge once again in my secret pleasure, old school 80′s rap.  This time, it is the Beastie Boys, extolling the virtues of getting drunk with their favorite drink.  A brass monkey, in case you was wondering, is made by mixing equal parts of beer and orange juice together or mixing gin, triple sec, tequila, orange juice, sour mix and grapefruit juice or mixing rum, vodka and orange juice (with or without galliano).

7.   John Lee Hooker – One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer:  Rudy Toombs originally wrote this number for rhythm and blues artist Amos Milburn, but it was John Lee Hooker that first recorded One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.  Known for his half-spoken musical stylings, Hooker is not as closely tied to specific bars as other blues artists.  This rambling vocal style is apparent in this song, which has less of a sharper edge than the more familiar George Thorogood cover.

8.  George Thorogood and the Destroyers – I Drink Alone:  I wouldn’t want to disappoint any George Thorogood fans out there.  Therefore, we present another drinking song from the rocker from Delaware.  Released in 1985 on the Maverick album, I Drink Alone is for all those isolationists out there who feel their only friend is the bottle of booze beside them.  Six different brands are referenced in the song…Budweiser, Jack Daniels, Jim Bean & all three Johnny Walkers (Gold, Red and Black).

9.  Metallica – Whiskey in the Jar:  Yet another traditional Irish song, with a heavy metal twist to it.  The song, around since the 1950′s, was first given exposure by the Irish folk band The Dubliners in the 1960′s, then by Thin Lizzy in the early 70′s, and finally by Metallica in 1998.  The song speaks of a highwayman who was betrayed by his wife/lover and frequently has the locations and names changed, depending on where it is sung.

10.  The Gourds – Gin & Juice:  Now hold on a minute.   Wasn’t Gin & Juice originally a hip hop song by Snoop Dogg?  Yes, you are correct.  The version given here is a cover of Snoop’s song, which may very well be better than the original.  And yes, it is a country version.  It does seem to fit, though.  I have to admit, I chuckled at first, since none of the profanity is edited out from the original, causing the lead singer Kevin Russell to sound almost like a wannabe redneck gangsta.  However, lyrics aside, the song is appealing…to the point where fans of The Gourds still call out for it to be played at their live performances, over 12 years later from the original cover’s debut.

The above list should at least get you started down the path of drinking revelry.  There are hundreds more out there, by great bands such as the Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Pogues, Reel Big Fish, and others.  If I didn’t get to your favorite and you want to complain to the management, or if you just really want to share your opinion on what makes a good drinking song, feel free to add to the discussion via the comments section below. 

Do yourself a favor.   If you are partying out in public and doing some drinking, make sure you have a way home that doesn’t involve driving yourself.  If you are with friends at your home, set the radio to whatever station you like and have a good time.   See you in the new year.