Sam

©1981 Andrew Calhoun, recorded on The Gates of Love

I changed the name but his friends all knew who he was - a great musician and a nasty drunk. He's stone cold sober now and runs a lot. Sometimes it gets better.

Sam was drinkin', Sam was drinkin'
And his wife asked him to stop
And his best friend asked him to stop
And his father asked him to stop
And finally the whiskey
Asked him to stop, it said "Stop drinking me,
Stop drinking me,
Stop drinking me,
But Sam would not stop drinkin'
Till he couldn't remember his own name no more

Sam is drinkin' like a fish
He's drinkin' in the nighttime
He's drinkin' on his worktime
He's drinkin' on his credit
He's drinkin' on his wife's pay
And finally the whiskey
The whiskey in his glass said
"Sam, you got so much going for you
Why don't stop drinkin' me
Stop drinkin' me
Stop drinkin'me
But Sam would not stop drinkin'
Till he couldn't remember his own name no more

Sam's a nice man, Sam's a nice man
He's nice to talk to when he's sober
He's a sweet guy when he's sober
He's an angel when he's sober
But then the whiskey says, "Sam,
Just a little drink Sam,
Please drink me
Please drink me
Please drink me
And Sam will not stop drinking till he's
Mean and ugly and sorry and smelly and dirty

Hey Sam, what did your papa do to you
What did your Mama say
To make you act this way
Do you see Hell,
Does that little boy fall down that well
And cry for help that doesn't come
And who's gonna save him if not you son
Echoes from the grave and the horizon
From the tears always falling in the well
And that voice from the bottom calling
"Help me, help me, help me"
and Sam will not stop drinking till he's
Drowned his thinking and he's
Drowned that voice out
And he's got no choice but to fall,
To fall,
To fall
Down and be taken care of
By the paddy wagon,
Or somebody's love

Sam was drinkin', Sam was drinkin'
And his wife asked him to stop
And his best friend asked him to stop
And his father asked him to stop
And finally the whiskey