what is the sad song about whiskey....?

Rye Whiskey

I'm a rambler, I'm a gambler,
I'm a long way from home;
And if you don't like me,
Just leave me alone.

I'll eat when I'm hungry,
I'll drink when l'm dry,
If the hard times don't kill me,
I'll live till I die.

Rye whisky, rye whisky,
Rye whisky, I cry,
If you don't give me rye whisky,
I surely will die.

For work I'm too lazy,
Investment's too slow
Train robbin's too risky,
It's gamblin' I'll go.

I'll tune up my fiddle,
And I 'll rosin my bow,
I'll make myself welcome,
Wherever I go.

Beefsteak when l'm hungry,
Rye Whiskey when I'm dry
Greenbacks when I'm hard up,
And religion when I die.

They say I drink whisky,
My money's my own;
All them that don't like me,
Can leave me alone.

Sometimes I drink whisky,
Sometimes I drink rum,
Sometimes I drink brandy,
At other times none.

But if I get boozy,
My whisky's my own,
And them that don't like me,
Can leave me alone.

Jack o' diamonds, jack o' diamonds,
I know you of old,
You've robbed my poor pockets
Of silver and gold.

Oh, whisky, you villain,
You've been my downfall,
You've kicked me, you've cuffed me,
But I love you for all.

If the ocean was whisky,
And I was a duck,
I'd dive to the bottom
To get one sweet suck.
But the ocean ain't whisky
And I ain't a duck,
So I'll play Jack of Diamonds
And trust to my luck.

My foot's in my stirrup,
My bridle's in my hand,
I'm leaving sweet Lillie,
The fairest in the land.

Her parents don't like me,
They say l'm too poor;
They say I'm unworthy
To enter her door.

Sweet milk when l'm hungry,
Rye whisky when l'm dry,
If a tree don't fall on me,
I'll live till I die.

I'll buy my own whisky,
I'll make my own stew,
If I get drunk, madam,
It's nothing to you.

I'll drink my own whisky,
I'll drink my own wine,
Some ten thousand bottles
I've killed in my time.

I've no wife to quarrel
No babies to bawl;
The best way of living
Is no wife at all.

Way up on Clinch Mountain
I wander alone,
I'm as drunk as the devil,
Oh, let me alone.

You may boast of your knowledge
An' brag of your sense,
'Twill all be forgotten
A hundred years hence.

In my little log cabin,
Ever since I been born,
Dere ain't been no nothin' -
'Cept dat hard salt, parched corn.

But I know whar's a henhouse,
De turkey he charve;
An, if ol' Massa don' kill me
I cain't never starve.

Rye whisky, rye whisky,
You're no friend to me;
You killed my poor daddy,
Goddamn you, try me.

http://www.ezfolk.com/lyrics/qrst/r/rye-whiskey/rye-whiskey.html

I go to many reenactment events, especially fur trade era, and frequently hear this song performed, often an impromptu get-together that stops more and more people who also know the song. Some stanzas are dropped; others vary. My Granddaddy Claude used to sing it as: "I'd swim to the bottom and drink my way up", which is how I hear it the most. (Our family members, for the most part, are "teetotallers" aka non-drinkers, but we still enjoy the "drinking songs", many of which originated in Ireland.) Virgil also sings a variation of the lyrics in "Bus Stop". Yes, this is a traditional song aka a folk song.

Here's a rather comedic performance of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt_D0brerk8
Darn! I can't get the link to work! Type this to get to the video on YouTube:
Tex Ritter - Rye Whiskey

~~MystMoonstruck~~