Gimme a Beer!

A direct link to the above video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKr5uMg-MoI

As we continue to look at the songs from my 1983 concept Alcohol and Other Drugs, here's one that starts out sounding like a beer commercial, but by the end the singer turns into the Beer Monster, continuing to have one last beer long past when he should have stopped.

As I mentioned, the songs from this album accompany a Globe Theatre musical play which toured the high schools of Saskatchewan back then. The creative approach for this project was quite unique: a collective of actors, most not that long out of high school themselves, were brought together to discuss their own attitudes towards alcohol and other drugs, and to improvise some scenes based upon those discussions. Playwright Rex Deverell (whose name you may recognize from my book and his connection to my songs Everything Fits Together and Senseless Violence) then developed those themes into a play, and I did the same to write songs which explored the ideas the collective had brought up as important to them.

Beer as Mind-Altering Drug
Each of the songs in this collection takes a slightly different viewpoint on people's attitudes towards mind-altering drugs, and this one reminds us that beer goes on that list. Even though the underlying message in this song about the dangers of overindulgence is obvious, for me this is more about the portrayal of alcohol consumption in popular media, and the sometimes ridiculous fantasy world of beer commercials. I hope you enjoy it.

GIMME A BEER!
- words and music by Rob Bryanton (SOCAN)

Gimme another one over here
Make it foamy golden and clear
Ice cold heaven, set it right here
Gimme a beer, gimme a beer

Good friends and a brown one, they go together fine
A case of beans means good times, in the warm sunshine
Racin at the Indy, or ropin long horn steers
Goes just that much better with a couple a beers

Gimme another one over here…

Sittin in the barroom, shuffleboard or pool
Pickled eggs and sausage, and a beer that’s nice and cool
Put a quarter in the jukebox, turn it good and loud
Bring us forty-eight draft and a shaker of salt
We’re a mighty thirsty crowd

Six pack, twelve pack, gimme a case
Set up a round for every guy in the place
Ice cold heaven, set it right here
Gimme a beer, gimme a beer

(instrumental)

Sittin at home with the late night show
Everybody else said they had to go
I go to the fridge throw open the door
And gimme a beer, gimme a beer
Gimme a beer, gimme a beer!

“Next time you want a party, don’t just ask for a drink… tell them GIMME A BEER! “

Next: Just a Shy Guy