April 1997, Volume 20, Issue 4

Culture

My mother really does mean well, wanting to help out with her son’s "beer hobby" and all that. She occasionally sends me articles and clippings of "beer related interest items," none of which have gone any farther than the Editor’s desk. But the claim in this latest letter is that "you can’t fully appreciate beer unless you know the true words to the Beer Barrel Polka." So, just in case Mom is right, here are the words, taken from the Marine Song Book printed some time in the 1950’s. Chalk this one up to "culture" ... and a one ... and a two ...

There’s a garden, what a garden

Only happy faces bloom there

And there’s never any room there

For a worry or a gloom there

Oh there’s music and there’s dancing

And a lot of sweet romancing

When they play a polka they all begin to swing

Every time they hear that oompapa

Everybody feels so tra-la-la

They want to throw their cares away

They all go lah-de-la-de-ay

Then they hear a rumble on the floor

It’s the big surprise they’re waiting for

And all the couples form a ring

For miles around you’ll hear them sing

Roll out the barrel

We’ll have a barrel of fun

Roll out the barrel

We’ve got the blues on the run

Zing! Boom! Tarerrel

Ring out a song of good cheer

Now’s the time to roll the barrel

For the gang’s all here!