Here's to the Grog (All Gone for Grog)

DESCRIPTION: The singer describes his "nobby, nobby" coat, breeches, etc. All are decrepit, but will not be replaced, for "It's all gone for grog, Jolly, jolly grog... I've spent all my tin with the lassies drinking gin, And across the western ocean I must wander."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1904 (Sharp MS.)
KEYWORDS: clothes drink poverty hardtimes sailor
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond,North,South),Scotland(Aber)) Canada(Mar) Australia
REFERENCES (8 citations):
Greig/Duncan3 580, "Ale and Tobacco" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, p. 296, "Good Brown Ale and Tobacco" (1 text fragment) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Wt 426)
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 274, "Here's to the Grog" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Ox 287, "All Through the Beer" (1 text)
Tawney-GreyFunnelLines-RoyalNavy, p. 132, "This Old Hat of Mine" (1 fragment, which has this chorus though it's too short to properly identify)
Creighton-SongsAndBalladsFromNovaScotia 64, "Western Ocean" (1 text, 1 tune)
Paterson/Fahey/Seal-OldBushSongs-CentenaryEdition, pp. 238-240, "Across the Western Ocean I Must Wander" (1 text)
DT, HEREGROG*
Roud #475
RECORDINGS:
Liam Clancy, "All For Me Grog" (on IRLClancy01)
A. L. Lloyd, "All for Me Grog" (on Lloyd5, Lloyd12)
Tom Newman, "My Old Hat That I Got On" (on Voice13)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Nobby Hat
My Jolly, Jolly Tin
NOTES [55 words]: Although some versions of this song make no reference at all to the sea, the singer's references to grog (which is technically rum mixed with water) label him as a sailor; only a seaman would speak of grog as opposed to some other sort of alcoholic beverage.
Creighton thinks the song might have originated as a music hall piece. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.1
File: K274

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