Sonny Hotchkins - A Little Drink Is Good, Another's Even Better

Sonny Hotchkins

At Big And Tall Records, we're always interested in the history and lives of all our artists, so when we got this new song by Sonny Hotchkins and saw the title, A Little Drink Is Good, Another's Even Better, we initially thought it might be a song that was positive about alcohol consumption...then we played it. 

There seems to be a disproportionate number of musicians, specifically blues artists, that have problems with alcohol. Mr. Hotchkins tell his story of the negative affects drinking had on him, and some of the problems it created. It's a hard-driving blues song, a testament to the resilience and courage of one man to defeat his addiction, and a warning to any that overly indulge.

Seen a lot of lives wrecked from booze, 

Drugs as well, but a lot of booze, 

You can't control it, yer gonna lose! 

 

 A little drink is good, another's even better, 

Watch out, it's gonna git ya sooner or later! 

 

 I used to drink it all up like a fish! 

Yeah, my mouth wide open like a fish, 

To get all I could was my only wish! 

 

I'd play in the juke joints every night, 

You know, I played a juke joint every night, 

I'd start out sober, end up tight!

 

 A little drink is good, another's even better, 

Watch out, it's gonna git ya sooner or later! 

 

It went that a way for many years, 

Yep, that's what I did for many years.

 Kept on playin', drinkin' too many beers. 

 

Then it got so, I couldn't remember, 

Goddammit all, I couldn't remember, 

The years I had left was pretty slender!

 

 A little drink is good, another's even better, 

Watch out, it's gonna git ya sooner or later! 

 

Then it all finally come to a head, 

Like a big ol' boil, come to a head, 

Woke up in a ditch, thought I was dead! 

 

 Don't remember how I got there, 

Don't remember what I done, 

But I slowly came aware, 

It sure wasn't any fun! 

 

A little drink is good, another's even better, 

Watch out, it's gonna git ya sooner or later!

 

 A passerby helped me out, called an ambulance, 

A good Samaritan helped and called an ambulance, 

I couldn't say nothin', like I was in a trance. 

 

 In the hospital, they dried me out, 

Yes, the hospital would dry me out, 

It was then what I saw what booze was all about.

 

 Haven't had a drink in over ten years 

No booze at all, for over ten years, 

Drink sody pop and water, not even a near beer! 

 

 So 'member what alcohol will do if you let it. 

Once it gets a hold of you, can't hardly prevent it! 

It takes over, turns yer life upside down, 

Makes you lie, ya don't care, turns ya low down! 

 

A little drink is good, another's even better, 

Watch out, it's gonna git ya sooner or later!