{"id":4111,"date":"2016-07-22T20:02:03","date_gmt":"2016-07-23T00:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=4111"},"modified":"2023-11-30T10:32:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T14:32:03","slug":"away-with-rum-or-the-song-of-the-temperance-union","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=4111","title":{"rendered":"Away With Rum, or The Song of the Temperance Union"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently Tim and I backed up a friend of ours who was presenting a rum tasting by singing drinking songs during the mixing of different cocktails. It occurred to us that for all of the references to rum and grog enjoyed by sailors, we knew damned few songs about rum\u2026 Sure \u201cAll For Me Grog<\/a>\u201d, and then \u201cRoll The Ol\u2019 Chariots<\/a>\u201d begins with a reference\u2026<\/p>\n

So I began to dig for some songs\u2026 Here is one of cloudy origins but I\u2019ll give you what I understand, happy to be corrected should sources be cited.<\/p>\n

In 1882 two gents took a suspected older English ditty melody, wrote some lyrics, and then arranged the melody. Edward Harrigan and Dave Braham then presented it in the vaudeville circuit and it gained some popularity, catchy as the tune is, under the name \u201cSalvation Army\u201d. (I\u2019ll provide the lyrics to this towards the end of this page) The significant part really is the chorus:<\/p>\n

Away, away with rum and gum!
\nHere we come; hear the drum!
\nA regular proper lum, tum, tum,
\nAs we joined the army, oh!<\/p>\n

You begin to see the inspiration, yes? With the variant clubs and organizations that made up the general anti-alcoholic beverage movement collectively referred to as the Temperance Union (Women\u2019s Christian Temperance Union<\/a>, Salvation Army<\/a>, et al) that would eventually lead up to the era of Prohibition, parades and rallies were the norm and popular melodies conscripted with new lyrics to fit the message meant to be broadcast\u2026 Just as political gatherings and rallies did. It seems that this song was appropriated in this manner, but just as quickly elicited parodies among the drinking crowds. In 1914 the new Secretary of the US Navy abolished the use of “alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station…<\/em>” and the local newspapers made quite the story about this. \u00a0The New York Tribune published cartoons of Sec. Daniels as “Sir Josephus, Admiral of the USS Grapefruit Pinafore<\/em>” and with one of them these lyrics to the melody of this essay…<\/p>\n

Away, away with sword and drum,<\/em>
\nHere we come, full of rum<\/em>
\nLooking for something to put on the bum<\/em>
\nIn the Armored Cruiser Squadron<\/em><\/p>\n

Josephus Daniels is a goose<\/em>
\nIf he thinks he can induce<\/em>
\nUs to drink his damn grape juice<\/em>
\nIn the Armored Cruiser Squadron<\/em><\/p>\n

In the 1915 edition of \u201cMichigan\u2019s Favourite College Songs\u201d the song appears under the title \u201cThe Song of the Temperance Union\u201d and, I am told, was also popular on the Yale Campus (still waiting for the evidence on that). The song waned in popularity as these things do but regained ground when \u201cdiscovered\u201d about the time of the folk revival the 1960s, with many more tongue-in-cheek versus added to taste and absurdity.<\/p>\n

The version of the song we sing is here with no claim to historical accuracy simply because it is part of the folk process and variations abound.<\/p>\n

Jos. Morneault<\/p>\n

THE SONG OF THE TEMPERANCE UNION<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We’re coming, we’re coming, our brave little band
\nOn the right side of temp’rance we do take our stand.
\nWe don’t use tobacco, because we do think
\nThat the people who use it are likely to drink<\/p>\n

Chorus:
\nAway, away, with rum, by gum,<\/em>
\nRum by gum, rum by gum<\/em>
\nAway, away, with rum, by gum,<\/em>
\nThe song of the Temperance Union.<\/em><\/p>\n

We never eat fruitcake because it has rum,
\nAnd one little slice puts a man on the bum.
\nOh, can you imagine the pitiful sight
\nOf a man eating fruitcake until he gets tight?<\/p>\n

A man who eats fruitcake lives a terrible life.
\nHe’s mean to his children and beats on his wife.
\nA man who eats fruitcake dies a terrible death,
\nWith the odor of raisins and rum on his breath!<\/p>\n

We never eat *cookies because they have yeast,
\nAnd one little bite turns a man to a beast.
\nOh, can you imagine the utter disgrace
\nOf a man in the gutter with crumbs on his face?<\/p>\n

We never drink grog for that leads to sin,
\nOne little sip and a man starts to grin.
\nOh, can you imagine a sorrier sight
\nThan a man drinking grog and singing all night?<\/p>\n

*rum cookies<\/p>\n

\"women's<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SALVATION ARMY<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Words\/arrangement by Edward Harrigan and Dave Braham, 1882<\/p>\n

Oh, Cleveland and Folger they went out to fight,
\nAnd Cleveland hit Folger with all his might,
\nThe winner he lives in Buffalo,
\nAnd the loser’s joined the Salvation Army, oh!<\/p>\n

CHO
\nAway, away with rum and gum!
\nHere we come, hear the drum!
\nA reg’lar proper lum tum-tum,
\nAs we join’d the army, oh!<\/p>\n

I’ll give you a pointer that’s on the square,
\nThe guy in the middle’s a millionaire,
\nHe does this for fun, ’cause he’s stuck on the show,
\nAnd he follows the Salvation Army, oh!<\/p>\n

Ol’ Jonahy he lived away down in a whale,
\nIn a little back room very close to the tail,
\nDon’t give it away, for he’s out on bail,
\nAnd he sings in the Salvation Army, oh!<\/p>\n

Spinola he started a rousing big scheme
\nTo heat up the city and county by steam,
\nHe’s block’d up the streets I would have you to know,
\nAnd he’ll blockade the Salvation Army, oh!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n