Day #29 – Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw)
Day #29 – Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw)
It’s a crowd favorite. It’s a bar room favorite. It’s a favorite of mine while singing in the shower or the car. It’s both funny and more than a bit true. And that combination was a great part of Jimmy’s songwriting charm.
Jimmy was still playing this live at his concerts, right up to his live shows in Key West in February of 2023, and you could tell he, and the crowd loved it as much as they always did.
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Original post from 9/30/2023
Day #29 – Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw)
I had mentioned that before I became an official Parrothead, I knew a couple of Jimmy Buffett songs. This was one of them, although honestly, I didn’t know Jimmy Buffett from Adam at that time. It was just a funny, rather shocking song that appealed to a teenager, with a catchy tune that is easy to sing along to!
I knew this was today’s song several weeks ago, because I wanted it for September 30th, which is my dear friend, Toots’ birthday. She put up with me and Diane listening to a lot of Jimmy Buffett over the years. There was good selection on the jukeboxes at both Vicks Bar (Nashua, MT) and Park Grove Bar and Café (Park Grove, MT) and when we would ask for her request, she always said “Let’s listen to the one about all the screwing”!!! Haha! Happy Heavenly Birthday Toots, this one’s for you!
Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw) was released in 1973 on the album A White Sport Coat And A Pink Crustacean. The first of his Key West albums, his sense of humor was always shining through, both in his lyrics and song and album titles. This is one of Jimmy’s “Big 8” and he played it A LOT, and the crowd always loved it!
So, JB said he wrote this in response to country musics’ string of suggestive songs in the 60’s that hinted at “getting busy” but wouldn’t just come out and say it. He wanted to leave “no doubt” about what his song was about! You left no doubt, Jimmy!
This song was the B-side to Jimmy’s single The Great Filling Station Hold-Up (another favorite of mine) but was never promoted to country radio because of the “And Screw” in the title and lyrics. But you can’t keep a good song down and it was a juke box hit, still making record juke box play reports three years later. It did get a little radio play from basement and pirate radio stations and has lived on as an anthem for bar crowds everywhere.
Jimmy played this live for fifty years and made many humorous lyrical changes, including smoking weed and getting stoned and screwing, there’s some Elmer’s glue and sticking to the floor, and even nods to condom use and designated drivers, always changing with the times and keeping his sense of humor intact.
BTW, a little research led me to understand that “snuff queen” was slang for a groupie around the country bar scene, with a reputation for casual sexual encounters. I love that I’m still learning things!
Please enjoy Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw). I bet even if you don’t know many of his songs, you probably know this one. The link is in the comments below.
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And if you were wondering what I used to think the “snuff queen” reference was to, I honestly just thought it was a girl who liked Copenhagen or Skoal. After all, some girls do!
Stacy
Please enjoy Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw). I have included the link below. Enjoy!
The link is from Jimmy’s official YouTube channel, which I have no personal affiliation with.
