Twenty-First Century Blues

My baby started drinking
In the 21st century
She drinks because it fills her up
When she feels so empty
My baby started drinking
In the 21st century
She drinks to all the wasted years
She drinks because of me

Back in the nineteen hundreds
She hardly ever touched a drop
She had a few on New Year’s Eve
And now she just can’t stop
It’s Mary in the morning
A few gin and tonics each night
She’s too far gone to turn back now
I’m too beat up to fight

I’d throw away her bottles
But she’s learned to hide them so well
For every Jack or Jim I find
I miss two Rebel Yells
It breaks my heart to see her
When she’s stumbling around blind
The 21st century blues
They caught her from behind

That old demon alcohol
Has got my baby in it’s grasp
She swears that she will do better
But it don’t ever last
So I’m down to two choices
And I don’t know which one is best
Booze it up or be alone
I’m in an awful mess

So go get me a bottle
I was once known to tip a few
I’d rather be drunk all day long
Than sober without you
We’ll get drunk in the morning
And wasted in the afternoon
I’m a newfangled hell raiser
Not a moment too soon

My baby started drinking
In the 21st century
She drinks because it fills her up
When she feels so empty
My baby started drinking
In the 21st century
She drinks to all the wasted years
She drinks because of me

Copyright Kent Newsome and Ronnie Jeffrey
All Rights Reserved