Lyrics for "Alcohol"

Alcohol

Written by: Ray Davies

Published by: Davray Music Ltd.

Lyrics:

Here's a story about a sinner,
He used to be a winner who enjoyed a life of prominence and position,
But the pressures at the office and his socialite engagements,
And his selfish wife's fanatical ambition,
It turned him to the booze,
And he got mixed up with a floosie
And she led him to a life of indecision.
The floosie made him spend his dole
She left him lying on Skid Row
A drunken lag in some Salvation Army Mission.
It's such a shame.

Oh demon alcohol,
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would say,
Damn it all and blow it all,
Oh demon alcohol,
Memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol.
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol.

Barley wine, pink gin,
He'll drink anything,
Port, pernod or tequila,
Rum, scotch, vodka on the rocks,
As long as all his troubles disappeared.
But he messed up his life, went and beat up his wife,
And the floosie's gone and found another sucker
She's gonna turn him on to drink
She's gonna lead him to the brink
And when his money's gone,
She'll leave him in the gutter,
It's such a shame.

Oh demon alcohol,
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would say,
Damn it all and blow it all,

Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall,
A slave to demon alcohol.

This song can be found on the following releases:

stereo mix (3:30), recorded Aug-Sep 1971 at Morgan Studios, Willesden, London

Muswell Hillbillies	24 Nov, 1971	USA	RCA Victor LSP 4644	12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Muswell Hillbillies	26 Nov, 1971	UK	RCA Victor SF 8243	12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
Muswell Hillbillies	23 Jan, 1990	USA	Rhino R2 70934	CD
Muswell Hillbillies	14 Jul, 1998	USA	Konk/Velvel 63467-79719-2	CD
Muswell Hillbillies	24 Aug, 2004	USA	Konk/Koch Records VEL-SC-79801	SACD (hybrid)
Muswell Hillbillies	21 Jun, 2010	UK	Konk/Koch/Universal Music 2738367	CD
Muswell Hillbillies (Deluxe Edition)	7 Oct 2013	UK	Sanctuary Records Group/Universal Music 373 493-3	2 CD set
Muswell Hillbillies (Legacy Edition)	10 Nov 2014	USA	Sony/RCA/Legacy 88843093772	CD/DVD set

live, stereo mix (6:39), recorded 2 Mar, 1972 at Carnegie Hall, New York

Everybody's In Show-Biz (Legacy Edition)

3 Jun 2016

USA

RCA/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment 88875112362

2 CD set

live, stereo mix (5:20), recorded 3 Mar, 1972 at Carnegie Hall, New York

Everybody's In Show-Biz	25 Aug, 1972	USA	RCA Victor VPS 6065	12" vinyl 2-LP set (double album), 33 1/3 RPM
Everybody's In Show-Biz, Everybody's A Star	1 Sep, 1972	UK	RCA Victor DPS 2035	12" vinyl 2-LP set (double album), 33 1/3 RPM
Everybody's In Show-Biz	26 Jun, 1990	USA	Rhino R2 70935	CD
The Kinks' Greatest - Celluloid Heroes	25 Sep, 2001	USA	Konk/Velvel/Koch VEL-CD-79734	CD
Everybody's In Show-Biz	20 May, 2003	USA	Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs UDSACD 2010	SACD (hybrid)
Greatest Hits 1970-1986	30 Oct, 2007	USA	Konk/Velvel/Koch Records VEL-79822	3 CD set
Picture Book	8 Dec, 2008	UK	Universal/Sanctuary 5313049	Multi CD box set
Everybody's In Show-Biz (Legacy Edition)	3 Jun 2016	USA	RCA/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment 88875112362	2 CD set

live, stereo mix, shortened edit (3:52), recorded 3 Mar, 1972 at Carnegie Hall, New York

The Kinks' Greatest - Celluloid Heroes	May 1976	USA	RCA Victor APL1-1743	12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM
The Kinks' Greatest - Celluloid Heroes	25 Jun, 1976	UK	RCA Victor RS 1059	12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM

live, stereo mix, 5 sec. of applause edited from intro (5:12), recorded 3 Mar, 1972 at Carnegie Hall, New York

Everybody's In Show-Biz	14 Jul, 1998	USA	Konk/Velvel 63467-79720-2	CD
Everybody's In Show-Biz	7 Nov, 2006	USA	Konk/Koch VEL-SC-79816	SACD (hybrid)
Everybody's In Show-Biz	21 Jun, 2010	UK	Konk/Koch/Universal Music 2738353	CD