How did the song "How Dry I Am" come to be associated with drunks?

looney_tunes

"'The Near Future' is the name of a song written by Irving Berlin in 1919. It is better known for the small part of its lyric that took on a life of its own: 'How Dry I Am'. The term 'Dry' in that time period meant abstinence from alcohol, and support of Prohibition. Those who took the opposite approach and/or view were often called 'Wet'. Prohibition became fact in 1920, in 'the near future' after the song was issued. This portion of the song... How dry I am, how dry I am It's plain to see just why I am No alcohol in my highball And that is why so dry I am ...became known for its ironic use, by people getting drunk and singing it, sometimes in harmony, in all manner of popular media, especially Warner Bros. cartoons. That usage necessitated removing the parts that overtly denied drinking, which tended to reduce the song to these two lines: How dry I am, how dry I am Nobody knows how dry I am... Hooow dryyy I aaaaaam!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Near_Future Jul 26 09, 2:58 AM

skypilot024

I remember a different version of the song from my long ago youth: With sincere apologies to Mr. Berlin..... How dry I am, How wet I'll be, If I don't find the bathroom key, I find the key, I open the door, Whoops, too late, all over the floor! Jul 26 09, 12:24 PM

crotalus77

The melody originally came from a Christian hymn," Happy Day ". I recall singing this one in church a time or two as a child when we attended the Methodist Church. http://books.google.com/books?id=EVninY59ul0C&pg=PA279&lpg=PA279&dq=church+hymn+melody+how+dry+i+am&source=bl&ots=XDg_pysCxF&sig=vZlwTDrAaAt9E8jqyuEJ9Nf0X7Y&hl=en&ei=2L9sSpOcD5iQmAe1xOjlBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2 Found another link with sound http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh391.sht Jul 26 09, 2:50 PM