Scottish Poetry Selection
- Demon Drink

William Topaz McGonagall (1825-1902) was passionate about many things - and that included a belief in the evils of the "Demon Drink". He often spoke out on the subject and inevitably wrote a poem on the subject. His comment that "men that get drunk in general wants Home Rule" is particularly amusing today.


The Demon Drink

Oh, thou demon Drink, thou fell destroyer;
Thou curse of society, and its great annoyer.
What hast thou done to society, let me think?
I answer thou hast caused the most of ills, thou demon Drink.

Thou causeth the mother to neglect her child,
Also the father to act as he were wild,
So that he neglects his loving wife and family dear,
By spending his earnings foolishly on whisky, rum and beer.

After spending his earnings foolishly he beats his wife -
The man that promised to protect her during life -
And so the man would if there was no drink in society,
For seldom a man beats his wife in a state of sobriety.

And if he does, perhaps he finds his wife fou'
Then that causes, no doubt, a great hullabaloo;
When he finds his wife drunk he begins to frown,
And in a fury of passion he knocks her down.

And in the knock down she fractures her head,
And perhaps the'poor wife is killed dead,
Whereas, if there was no strong drink to be got,
To be killed wouldn't have been the poor woman's lot.

Then the unfortunate husband is arrested and cast into jail,
And sadly his fate he does bewail;
And he curses the hour that ever he was born,
And paces his cell up and down very forlorn.

And when the day of his trial draws near,
No doubt for the murdering of his wife he drops a tear,
And he exclaims, 'Oh, thou demon Drink, through thee I must die,'
And on the scaffold he warns the people from drink to fly,

Because whenever a father or a mother takes to drink,
Step by step on in crime they do sink,
Until their children loses all affection for them,
And injustice we cannot their children condemn.

The man that gets drunk is little else than a fool,
And is in the habit, no doubt, of advocating for Home Rule;
But the best Home Rule for him, as far as I can understand,
Is the abolition of strong drink from the land.

And the men that get drunk in general wants Home Rule;
But such men, I rather think, should keep their heads cool,
And try and learn more sense, I most earnestly do pray,
And help to get strong drink abolished without delay.

If drink was abolished how many peaceful homes would there be,
Just, for instance, in the beautiful town of Dundee;
Then this world would be a heaven, whereas it's a hell,
And the people would have more peace in it to dwell.

Alas! Strong drink makes men and women fanatics,
And helps to fill our prisons and lunatics;
And if there was no strong drink such cases wouldn't be,
Which would be a very glad sight for all Christians to see.

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