The Alcoholic Blues

New York, New York: Broadway Music Corporation, 1919. Good to very good. Light dust soiling, a couple nicks or short tears.. Printed sheet music with lyrics for a post-WWI blues song called "The Alcoholic Blues", lamenting the war and Prohibition: "I love my country, 'deed I do, But oh, that war has made me blue ... I've got the alcoholic blues ... Prohibition that's the name, Prohibition drives me insane. I'm so thirsty, soon I'll die, I'm simply goin' to 'vaporate, I'm just that dry". Both humorous and incisive, providing insight into the struggles of jaded or marginalized young men in post WWI America. Illus. bifolium (11.75" by 9") with image of inebriated owl perched on a crescent moon on front, adverts for other sheet music on back. This copy is special because it is accompanied by a sheet of hand typewritten lyrics (which appear to be original), that can be substituted for the original lyrics. They describe the struggle of coal miners in this period: Coal Mining Johnson was his name, But mining coal was not his game, He had a business so they say, His business was removing booze that came his way, When he heard the prohibition law was passed, He looked just like a soldier that had just been gassed, He started shouting he started to pray, And all the neighbors heard him say, I got the blues, I got the blues, I got the alcoholic blues ..." Measures approx. 9" by 7.25". Pencil manuscript arithmetic on the verso, with pencil manuscript draft for more lyrics (perhaps for a different song?). With printed flyer advertising the Chicago Evening Post and Evening Journal (11.75" by 8.5").