Most of the best known
drinking songs come from
England and
Ireland, though
Germany and
America have also contributed some good ones.
"Ahh, who cares what a bunch of
drunken lowlifes
sing when they get
sloshed?" I hear some of you groan. "What about
Art? What about
Culture?" Pish-posh. Drinking songs
are Art and Culture.
William Shakespeare included some drinking songs, both
original and
established, in his
plays ("
Henry IV, Part II", "
Othello", "
Antony and Cleopatra", and possibly several others), and the
tune of the
American National Anthem is based on an
English drinking
song called "
To Anacreon in Heaven".
Not many people write drinking songs anymore, but some
fun ones have been performed by
Mojo Nixon,
the Sex Pistols,
George Thorogood, and untold billions of
bluesmen,
sailors, and
country singers.