The song was originally written from the back window of a 4-room railroad apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn, just after 9.11.
It was recorded at RPM studios in Manhattan, which is no longer there.
It was released on “Demanding To Be Next” which is still here.
It was played tonight at Mission St. BBQ, which is over there. I am looking right.
Tonight it wore a harmonica rack around its neck and had a ’36 National in its lap:
Preacher Boy – 99 Bottles [LIVE]
(if you don’t see the embedded audio player above, please click here to stream)
On “Demanding to be Next” it had that same National, but no harmonica. And it went like this:
When you want to sing along, sing it all night long. And it goes like this:
ninety-nine bottles
i think i better kill time
before it kills me
put some silence on a sawed-off
see if anybody hears me
there’s ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
rain is runnin’ off the roof
tick-tockin’ on the fire escape
and i’m pitchin’ pennies at the puddles
and takin’ a drink for every one i make
there’s ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
there’s lights on ‘cross the alley
but everybody’s blinds are drawn
and there ain’t nothin’ stirrin’
and nothin’ is goin’ on
there’s ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y’all
(p) PreachSongsMusic/KobaltMusic/BMI
~
(header image by Jake J. Thomas)
Preacher Boy | The National Blues 
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