I learned a version different in several ways from the words provided by Danny Harrington on 12 September, words I learned as a poem, not as a song: 'Twas one night in last October when I was far from sober and holding up a jag with manly pride when my knees began to flutter and I fell down in the gutter and a pig came and lay down by my side .... (missing words).... .... a passerby was heard to say "you can tell the one that boozes by the company he chooses" and the pig got up and slowly walked away. Sorry about the forgotten words but I learned this some sixty or so years ago. In the same book was the poem about "A Chilly Day for Willy". Jack Harrington

Re The Pig Poem/Song. 'Twas an evening in October, I'll confess I wasn't sober, I was carting home a load with manly pride, When my feet began to stutter and I fell into the gutter, And a pig came up and lay down by my side. Then I lay there in the gutter and my heart was all a-flutter, Till a lady, passing by, did chance to say: "You can tell a man that boozes by the company he chooses," Then the pig got up and slowly walked away. Then I heard a gentle mooing, it was like a pigeon cooing, As a home returning cow stopped in her stride, And her eyes were big and gentle; her expression sentimental, As she curtsied low and sat down by my side. Then I saw her eyelids flutter and a tear fell in the gutter, As the owner of the cow did loudly say: "Leave that brute this moment, Sonja, or your milk will curdle on ya," Then the cow got up and slowly walked away. Then the moon began to shine in that old gutter I reclined in, Thinking of the weakness of the human race, When a dog sat down beside me, and I thought he came to chide me, Till he gently licked the stubble on my face. In the gutter, still reclining, I began "Sweet Adeline-ing," While the dog raised up his head to loudly bay; Then his mistress said, "Come, Fido, that disgusting man may bite you," Then the dog got up and slowly walked away. . Down the street there came a clatter, and a gentle pitter-patter, As a pair of goats along the gutter ran; And it seemed that Billy knew me, for he quickly drew up to me, While his wife munched on an empty sardine can. Then again my pulse did flutter, and my heart was soft as butter; Till the Nanny goat, unto her mate, did say: "William dear, your social status don't include men such as that is," Then the goat got up and slowly walked away. Then I started in to mutter and I rose up from the gutter, Then I sadly went about my lonely way; I was weary, sick and busted; I was really quite disgusted, And I vowed to sign the pledge that very day. For each humble, lowly creature, a great lesson he can teach ya, Like the one learned while I in the gutter lay; In the tavern, do not tarry, when you've got all you can carry, But take up your load and slowly walk away. I began to scratch the gravel, on my all fours I did travel, I rambled down the road the best I could. When I awoke next morning, just as the day was dawning, I was in a hog pen away out in the woods. Then the hogs began to grumble, I started and I stumbled, I fell right in their midst and there I lay. Then one by one they started, till all the herd departed, Yes, every hog got up and walked away. Regards, Brendan Jones. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John J Harrington Jr." <ffjjjkpsh4@msn.com> To: <Beara@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 9:46 PM Subject: [BEARA] Let's do it the hard way > I learned a version different in several ways from the words provided by Danny Harrington on 12 September, words I learned as a poem, not as a song: > > 'Twas one night in last October > when I was far from sober > and holding up a jag with manly pride > when my knees began to flutter > and I fell down in the gutter > and a pig came and lay down by my side > .... (missing words).... > .... a passerby was heard to say > "you can tell the one that boozes > by the company he chooses" > and the pig got up and slowly walked away. > > Sorry about the forgotten words but I learned this some sixty or so years ago. In the same book was the poem about "A Chilly Day for Willy". > > Jack Harrington > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BEARA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >