Little Brown Jug (song)

"Little Brown Jug" is a song written in 1869 by Joseph Winner, originally published credited to "Eastburn" (Winner's middle name).

It was originally a drinking song. It remained well known as a folk song into the early 20th century. Like many songs which make reference to alcoholic beverages, it enjoyed new popularity during the Prohibition era. In 1939 bandleader Glenn Miller recorded and broadcast his swing instrumental arrangement of the tune with great success, and the number became one of the best known orchestrations of the American Big Band era.

The song's lyrics are about a man and his wife and their hard life due to alcoholism; however, the tone and tune are bright and cheerful.

Original lyrics

:"Me and my wife live all alone:"In a little log hut we call our own;:"She loves gin and I love rum,:"And don't we have a lot of fun!

:Chorus::"Ha, ha, ha, you and me,::"Little brown jug, don't I love thee!::"Ha, ha, ha, you and me,::"Little brown jug, don't I love thee!

:"When I go toiling on the farm:"I take the little jug under my arm;:"Place it under a shady tree,:"Little brown jug, 'tis you and me.

:(Chorus)

:"’Tis you that makes me friends and foes,:"’Tis you that makes me wear old clothes;:"But, seeing you're so near my nose,:"Tip her up and down she goes.

:(Chorus)

:"If all the folks in Adam's race:"Were gathered together in one place,:"I'd let them go without a tear:"Before I'd part from you, my dear.

:(Chorus)

:"If I'd a cow that gave such milk,:"I'd dress her in the finest silk;:"Feed her up on oats and hay,:"And milk her twenty times a day.

:(Chorus)

:"I bought a cow from Farmer Jones,:"And she was nothing but skin and bones;:"I fed her up as fine as silk,:"She jumped the fence and strained her milk.

:(Chorus)

:"And when I die don't bury me at all,:"Just pickle my bones in alcohol;:"Put a bottle o' booze at my head and feet:"And then I know that I will keep.

:(Chorus)

:"The rose is red, my nose is too,:"The violet's blue and so are you;:"And yet, I guess, before I stop,:"We'd better take another drop.

:(Chorus)

Modified lyrics

As a children's song, the lyrics are often changed. Sometimes a verse is modified to fit the melody and rhythm of the tune:

:"Me, my wife, and a bobtailed dog,:"crossed a creek on a hollow log,:"the log, it broke, and we fell in,:"and little brown jug got filled again.

Most notably, the chorus is often sung alone as the entire song:

:"Ha, ha, ha, hee hee hee,:"Little brown jug sings quite off key.:"Ha, ha, ha, hee hee hee,:"Little brown jug sings quite off key.

:"My wife and I drink lots of pop,:"Sometimes it seems we seldom stop,:"She drinks from a fancy mug,:"But I prefer my li'l brown jug.

:"Ha,ha,ha you and me,:"Little brown jug how I love thee!:"Ha,ha,ha you and me,:"Little brown jug how I love thee! :"My wife and I drink lots of pop:"Sometimes it seem we seldom stop:"She drinks from a fancy mug :"But I prefer my li'l brown jug.

:"Ha ha ha you and me:"Little brown jug how I love thee:"Ha ha ha you and me :"Little brown jug how I love thee.

:"I's walkin' down the railroad track:"Little Brown Jug upon my back:"Stubbed my toe and down I fell:"Broke Little Brown Jug all to Well,now,