He Never Blamed The Booze
His constitution was run down,
At least, that’s what he said;
His legs were swelled each morning
And he often had swelled head, He tackled beer, wine, and whiskey,
And if they didn’t fuse, He blamed it to dyspepsia –
But he never blamed the Booze.
He said he couldn’t sleep at night,
And always had bad dreams,
He claimed he always laid awake
Till early sunlight beams;
He thought it was malaria,
Alas! ’twas but a ruse;
He blamed it on everything —
But he never blamed the Booze!
He took a bottle up to bed,
Drank whiskey, hot, all night,
Drank cocktails in the morning,
But never could get right.
He shivered in the evening,
And always had the blues,
Until he took a bowl or two —
But he never blamed the Booze.
His joints were full of rheumatism,
His appetite was slack;
He had pains between the shoulders,
Chills ran down his back.
He suffered from insomnia,
At night he couldn’t snooze,
He said it was the dimate —
But he never blamed the Booze.
His liver needed scraping,
And his kidneys had the gout!
He swallowed lots of bitters,
Till at last he cleaned them out.
His legs were swelled with dropsy,
Till he had to cut his shoes:
He blamed it to the doctor —
But he never blamed the Booze.
Then he had the tremens,
And he tackled rats and snakes:
First he had the fever
And then he had the shakes;
As last he had the funeral, And his mourners had the blues:
And the epitaph they carved for him was
“He never blamed the Booze.’
The Voice of Temperance Scrapbook – 9 Winters of Prayers & Poems from Prohibition is a weekly journey through one of history’s most unique relics of faith and reform. This scrapbook, preserved across nine winters, blends heartfelt poetry with fervent prayers from the Prohibition era—a time when voices of temperance sought to guide communities toward sobriety, strength, and moral conviction. Each entry offers not only a glimpse into the spiritual and cultural mindset of the early 20th century, but also a window into how ordinary people used words to grapple with change, hope, and resilience.
Every week, we will highlight one poem and one prayer from the collection, pairing them with a touch of historical context and reflection. Whether you come for the rhythm of the verse, the quiet power of the prayers, or the curiosity of uncovering forgotten pages of the past, this series will celebrate the endurance of the written word and the human spirit through nine long winters of conviction and devotion.
In 1936 for nine winters “The Voice of Temperance” was broadcast over radio stations. Thousands of poems, newspaper clippings, excerpts of temperance addresses, and personal experiences we mailed to the author Sam Morris. Radio listeners copied or clipped most of them from books, magazines, or newspapers without giving their source or author. We had no thought of putting them into a book and so merely pasted them into a handy reference book. But so many requests had come for copies that we have collected those most often requested into this Scrap Book for wider distribution.
Naturally under the circumstances indicated above, it has been impossible to check up and secure the individual permission to publish each one; we have no desire to infringe upon copyright privileges or personal ownerships. We have indicated authorship where it was known and should there be any infringement upon copyright or personal ownership we shall be only too glad to correct the infringement in future editions.
With this brief explanation we send forth this unique Scrap Book with the prayer that its contents may contribute to the moral and spiritual betterment of human society.
Sincerely,
SAM MORRIS
“The Voice of Temperance”
