One More Drink for the Four of Us
"One More Drink for the Four of Us" is a traditional drinking and marching song. It became popular during the First World War, and has been widely repurposed for other marches, college bands, and social clubs. It is referenced in Ulysses
and Finnegans Wake.
The song talks about a family of drinkers, whose name is sometimes modified to refer to the group that is singing it. Other lines are sometimes added at the beginning or the end.
History
The origins of the song are uncertain. It was popular during the First World War, and noted by Ralph Barton Perry as a popular marching song in Impressions of a Citizens' [Military Training Camp|Plattsburg Recruit] from The New Republic in 1915.It is referenced in military stories from that time, such as William Brown's Adventures of an American Doughboy. James Joyce referred to it in Ulysses.
"One More Drink" appeared in the song anthology Immortalia, published in 1927.
The song was sung on college campuses and across the United States throughout the 20th century.
The chorus has been included as part of many other drinking songs, such as
"There Are No Airborne Rangers",
"Glorious",
"The Souse Family",
and
"The California [Drinking Song]".
Conversely, other short songs and doggerel have been included as verses of this song.
Core lyrics
Other verses
Many other verses and variations have been added in different parts of the world. A common second verse in the 20th century:or
The California Drinking Song features lines very similar to the second verses: