Whoa January

. . . You’re going to be worse than July, 1919.
words by Andrew B. Sterling
music by Harry Von Tilzer

Prohibition was when an amendment to the constitution made alcohol illegal. This had been a temperance movement and had been building in popularity for decades. There were prohibition laws just before the amendment. However, the whole thing backfired and was a disaster. Another amendment was later made to reinstate consumption of alcohol as legal. You could say that since then the drinking of alcohol is sanctioned by the U.S. government. That is the end result of the temperance movement.

The sheet music:

Whoa-January – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:

Whoa_January – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. The first of July they said we’d go dry
    And everyone thought there’d be nothing to buy
    But you got yours and I got mine
    And everyone was happy we were feeling fine
    But soon we’ll be through, then won’t we feel blue
    No more we’ll hear that “have another” sound
    Can you picture me saying “gimme some tea”
    When Mister January comes around

Chorus
Whoa January, oh January
I hate to see you come ’round
July was mighty tough but we could get enough
And if we knew the barman
We could get the reg’lar stuff
But oh January, Whoa January
I’m so sad I want to cry
You’re the month that’s going to make my life a wreck
I know I will turn into a horse’s neck
Whoa January when you go dry
You’re going to be worse than July

  1. Last night in a dream how real it did seem
    A raspberry soda all smothered with cream
    Said peek-a-boo, I’ll get you soon
    The time is coming when you have to use a spoon
    They filled you I hear with two percent beer
    But soon you’ll be an ice cream soda hound
    There’s drinks we can pick but not one with a kick
    When Mister January comes around

Chorus
Whoa January, oh January
I hate to see you come ’round
July you made us think we couldn’t get a drink
But when we wanted something
All we had to do was wink
But oh January, Whoa January
So long good old rock and rye
Mister Bevo never made a hit with me
‘Cause it hasn’t got the right authority
Whoa January when you go dry
You’re going to be worse than July

Sung here by Fred Feild: