"THE FIRST OF JULY THEY SAID WE'D GO DRY"

(PROHIBITION- SALOONS - SHEET MUSIC) Sterling, Andrew B. (words) & Harry Von Tilzer (music). Sheet music titled “Whoa January (You’re Going to be Worse than July)” with a front cover image of a man on a sidewalk desperately peering into a saloon that has a “Closed / To Let / Jan. 18th 1920” sign in the front window, an obvious reference to the closing of a saloon after National Prohibition under the Volstead Act went into effect (New York: Harry Von Tilzer, publisher, 1919). Illustrated cover; (1), 2-3 (4) pages with lyrics and music. Rear cover advertises other music published by Harry Von Tilzer. Measures approximately 9 x 12 inches. VG+ condition, clean throughout.

The first of the two verses reads: “The first of July they said we’d go dry / And everyone thought there’d be nothing to buy – but you got yours and I got mine / And everyone was happy we were feeling fine But soon we’ll be through then won’t we feel blue. No more we’ll hear that “have another” sound / Can you picture me saying “gimme some tea” When Mister January comes around.”

Chorus

“Whoa January, oh January I hate to see you come ‘round July was mighty tough but we could get enough / And if we knew the barman we could get the reg’lar stuff, But oh January Whoa January I’m so sad I want to cry You’re the month that’s going to make my life a wreck / I know I will turn into a horse’s neck. Whoa January when you go dry / You’re going to be worse than July.”

The chorus changes slightly after the second verse. In part, it goes:

“… July you made us think we couldn’t get a drink / But when we wanted something all we had to do was wink,… So long good old rock and rye Mister Bevo never made a hit with me / ‘Cause it hasn’t got the right authority…”