First of all, I swear this is not a shameless attempt to create a thread that lasts over 100 posts. You folks would see through that ploy in a second. (But, hey, if you want to…)
Anyway, I remember in elementary school when we learned the “99 Bottles of Beer” song, we learned the last lines of the verse as
Yet every time I’ve heard the song since then, it’s been:
After I got over the initial shock that other people had a different version, I decided I liked the latter version better. Better meter, better rhyme scheme, and not nearly as depressing (I mean, who would sing such a happy song about spilt beer?)
Were my teachers at school trying to be PC by avoiding advocating the distribution of alcohol? If so, why didn’t we instead sing “99 Bottles of Milk” or something else equally lame?
Is it a regional difference? I learned the first version in New Jersey and the second in North Carolina.
And when we reached no bottles of beer on the wall we would sing: " No bottle of beer on the wall, no bottle of beer, barf one up, bottle it up one bottle of beer on the wall"
Keith
Kieth, thank yo for curing my long-lasting addiction to that song. Ever since I learned it in Summer Camp years ago (by the way drewbert, we had both versions), I could not help but join in when someone started it. Well, after your little add on, never again!
Did Cecil ever do a column on the origin of this song?
Good one tshirts! Never saw that episode. I’ll think I’ll start singing that on my next long drive.
Judging from your comment, though, it sounds like the scientists on the bus in the Simpsons were singing “if one of those bottles should happen to fall” instead of the “take one down, pass it around” version.
Odieman, also a good addition to the song! I can foresee much fun with us. So do you go back from one back up to 100, and then start over with the countdown?
A few years ago I taught junior high school with an emergency credential. We had a couple of classes together to watch a movie or something and the kids started singing that song.
The other teacher and I countered with “99 innocent kids on the wall, 99 innocent kids, take one down, pound him around, 98 innocent…” You get the idea. The kids did get quiet awfully quickly. I’m amazed we weren’t sued.
I also learned the version that "99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, one fell oh hell, 98 bottles of beer on the wall, etc. etc.
Anyone else familar with that version??
99 Bottles of Beer scripted in 227 different programming languages or environments. Warning: The music may drive you nuts (at least it’s a short trip for most of us).
I can see it now: New from Anheiser Busch, the Michelob 99 pack. Now you can shoot 36 holes without having to make a beer run. Side effects of this product may include swollen bladder.
I also learned both ways. But when counting up it went, “up-chuck, throw it up, one bottle of beer on the wall” etc. Although since rebottling it is not mentioned, it would actually be one bottle’s worth of beer.
The first time I learned it, it went “take one down, pass it around, how many bottles of beer on the wall?”
but I haven’t heard it that way since, ever.
speaking of 99-packs and the like, I have heard it done (but never attempted it) that one take 100 shots of beer in 100 minutes. perhaps one could sing this song along with it (at least for the first 60 shots or so).
And me and my geek friends were singing “infinity bottles” way back when.
The “song” is usually good for 10 or 20 iterations before the masses get bored and it fades into oblivion.
On one of our more rambunctious band trips, the song got started, and by the time we’d reached 80 there were still 4 or 5 of “carrying the torch”. At about 20 people started joining back in and the song was completed with much splendor.
Then someone started singing, “500 bottles of beer on the wall…”
There’s a commercial that plays about six hundred times during the Indians games for somebody that has a plastic beer bottle and when they get to the “if one of those bottles should happen to fall…” then the guys sing 99 or 98 (and somewhat haltingly). It’s actually a good use of the song.
And for you impressionable young types out there, if you want to get in trouble in school (just don’t mention my name, OK?), insted of singing “99 bottles of beer” sing the following–
99 joints of pot on the wall,
99 joints of pot,
take a toke and pass the smoke,
98 joints of pot on the wall.
100 bottles of beer on the wall,
100 bottles of berr
and if some straight dopers should call
there’d be no more bottles of beer on the wall…
or:
10 sticks of dynamite hanging on the wall,
10 sticks of dynamite hanging on the wall
& if one stick of dynamite should accidentally fall…
there’s be no sticks of dynamite and no wall!
There were two distinct songs, with very different tunes.
“Green Bottles”
There were 10 green bottles, a standing on the wall
There were 10 green bottles, a standing on the wail
There were 10 green bottles, a standing on the wall
And if one green bottle should accidently fall
There’d be 9 green bottles, a standing on the wall
2. “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”
99 bottles of beer on the wall
99 bottles of beer
You take one down, pass it around
98 bottles of beer on the wall
The key to the second song was to get progressively drunker and slur your words. My, we thought we were clever.
