Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-o-Dee
Stick Mcghee & His Buddies Lyrics
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All them cats is drinkin' that wine
Drinking that mess to their delight
When they gets drunk, start singing all night
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
When they gets drunk, start fighting all night
Knocking down windows and tearin' out doors
Drinkin' half a gallons and callin' for more
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
Hoy, hoy, hoy
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
Pass that bottle to me
If you wanna get along in New Orleans town
Buy some wine and pass it all around
Age runs up for tonight
All those cats they love sweet wine
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
Hoy, hoy
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
Pass that bottle to me
Drink that slop
That's what I'm talkin' about
Ah, drink it
Sneaky Pete
Now down on Rampart street at Willy's Den
He wasn't selling but a little gin
One cat wanted a bottle of wine
He hit that cat for a dollar and a dime
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
Hoy, hoy
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
Pass that bottle to me
I've got a nickel, have you got a dime
Let's get together and get a little wine
Some [Incomprehensible]
And some [Incomprehensible]
Oh when you're buying sharing, now you're doing things smart
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
The song "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" by Stick McGhee and His Buddies is an ode to the joys (and pitfalls) of drinking wine, particularly in the bustling city of New Orleans. The lyrics describe the revelry that wine can inspire, with people singing, fighting, and calling for more after drinking half a gallon. The song acknowledges the different types of wine available, from elderberry to blackberry, suggesting that it's not so much the quality of the wine that matters, but the experience of sharing it with others.
The lyrics also display a wry sense of humor, with lines like "Age runs up for tonight / All those cats they love sweet wine" and the repeated request to "pass that bottle to me." The repeated refrain of "drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba" adds a lively, almost hypnotic quality to the song, encouraging listeners to join in and sing along. Overall, "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" is a celebration of the camaraderie and excitement that can be found in a simple bottle of wine.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in New Orlean, where everything is fine
Things are going well in New Orleans.
All them cats is drinkin' that wine
Everyone is drinking wine.
Drinking that mess to their delight
They love to drink it.
When they gets drunk, start singing all night
When they get drunk, they start singing all night.
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Pass that bottle to me
Hand me the wine bottle.
Drinking that mess to their delight
They love to drink it.
When they gets drunk, start fighting all night
When they get drunk, they start fighting all night.
Knocking down windows and tearin' out doors
They are destroying property.
Drinkin' half a gallons and callin' for more
They are drinking a lot and want more.
Hoy, hoy, hoy
I'm excited about the wine.
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
They like elderberry wine.
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
They like sherry wine.
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
They like blackberry wine.
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
They like half and half wine.
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
They really love wine.
If you wanna get along in New Orleans town
If you want to fit in with New Orleans folks,
Buy some wine and pass it all around
You should buy and share wine.
Age runs up for tonight
Let's enjoy tonight.
All those cats they love sweet wine
Everyone loves sweet wine.
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Pass that bottle to me
Hand me the wine bottle.
Hoy, hoy
I'm excited about the wine.
Drink that slop
Drink that wine.
That's what I'm talkin' about
That's what I mean.
Ah, drink it
Drink it.
Sneaky Pete
A brand of wine.
Now down on Rampart street at Willy's Den
At Willy's Den on Rampart Street,
He wasn't selling but a little gin
He wasn't selling much gin.
One cat wanted a bottle of wine
Someone wanted wine.
He hit that cat for a dollar and a dime
He charged that person $1.10 for the wine.
I've got a nickel, have you got a dime
I have a nickel, do you have a dime?
Let's get together and get a little wine
Let's pool our money to buy some wine.
Some [Incomprehensible]
Unknown type of wine.
And some [Incomprehensible]
Unknown type of wine.
Oh when you're buying sharing, now you're doing things smart
When you buy and share, you are being smart.
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
They are drinking wine and enjoying it.
Pass that bottle to me
Hand me the wine bottle.
Writer(s): J. MAYO WILLIAMS, GRANVILLE STICKS MCGHEE
Contributed by Lillian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@roybarker9419
In 1949, my four buddies and I called this Atlantic record by McGhee our theme song. We bought a bottle of wine as a "sacred" symbol, but never drank it, or any alcoholic beverages, because we were total nerds! All of my buddies are dead (I'm over 90 years old) but this OLD record brings back the fun memories of our teen years! We thought of ourselves as "rebels!"
@davidbryden7904
That's a great story, OG!! 🍻✌️😎
@boojiecentoobie4272
Roy did you know Stick McGhee cleaned up the lyrics to this. He said they used to sing it in the army barracks and it was drinking wine moth________r drinking wine
Pass that Godd___n bottle
@jeffkilgore6320
It was Atlantic’s first big hit.
@johndortch3701
Hello Mr. Barker. I was ten years old at the time and it was the first time I'd ever heard of wine. Me and my buddies would walk around singing this song even though we didn't know what it meant. I have never heard of wine. One of my buddies had heard about it and showed us how to put rocks in our back pocket to make it look like we had a wine bottle.
@johndortch3701
I'm going to listen to "dust my broom" next!
@BerniceMMahar
I was just a little kid when this record came out in the late 40’s. I can remember hearing it blasting through the doors of the juke joints in our small southern town. The patrons would boogie through the doors and on to the porches; trying to show all of their fancy steps! It was a sight to see for a little kid.
@ingythomas5328
This is my grandfather who is singing this song
@Jay26798
I remember my Grandpop singing this walking around the house, just chilling like it was yesterday🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿
@YoungDeathWish
Reading these comments I realize I’m probably the youngest person here at 29, I don’t actually remember how or where I found this song, but I’ve been listening to it regularly for at least 10 years. Pass that bottle to me