Little Brown Jug (song)

This article is about the drinking song. For the Brown University humor magazine, see The Brown Jug.

Original 1869 sheet music cover

"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. His version did not have the lyrics.

1939 Glenn Miller Recording

1939 Glenn Miller recording on RCA Bluebird, B-10286-A.

In 1939, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra released a hit version of the song on RCA Bluebird, as an A side 78 single, B-10286-A, in a new arrangement by Bill Finegan backed with "Pavanne". The recording was an early chart hit for Glenn Miller. The song was performed in Glenn Miller's Carnegie Hall concert that year and was featured in the 1953 film biography The Glenn Miller Story. The song became a staple of the Glenn Miller Orchestra repertoire and a classic of the Big Band era.

Lyrics

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:

I got a dog, he's a hound,

Always diggin' in the ground.

Every time I hide my jug,

That's just where that ole hound dug.

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.

Another Version

Me, my wife, and my lil brown jug,

went to cross a hickory log,

log it broke and we fell in,

lost my wife but I saved my gin.

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,

External links

• "Little Brown Jug" at MusicBrainz (information and list of recordings)