On March 22, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Beer and Wine Revenue Act. The Eighteenth Amendment prohibiting the sale and transport of alcohol was still in effect. But the new act, signed into law less than three weeks after Roosevelt took office on March 4, amended the Volstead Act enforcing Prohibition.
The Beer and Wine Revenue Act provided for a tax on alcoholic beverages. And it also allowed states to further regulate the sale of beer and wine. After its passage, people could once again legally buy beer and wine with an alcohol content of less than 3.2% by volume.
The change in law started after Roosevelt had called for a special session of Congress five days after his election to begin the work on legalizing beer. There were a number of reasons Roosevelt made efforts to end Prohibition part of his campaign. Those reasons included an appeal to thirsty working-class Americans and also allowing sales of a product to stimulate the economy during the Depression.
Another reason is that Roosevelt enjoyed alcohol himself. This “Portrait of a Drinking President” article explains that he liked drinking cocktails and wine (as have a number of presidents).
There are a number of good songs about alcohol, and in particular about wine. For example, there is “Little Ole Wine Drinker Me,” made famous by Dean Martin and recorded by others such as actor Robert Mitchum. But I suspect that if you asked people to name a song about wine, the most popular reaction would be “Red Red Wine.”
Neil Diamond’s “Red Red Wine”
Neil Diamond wrote “Red Red Wine.” The song appeared on his 1967 album Just For You. The label, Bang Records, released the song in 1968 as a single with some small alterations, including an added choir, after Diamond had already left the label.
I probably first heard the song from my sister repeatedly playing Diamond’s 1972 amazing live album Hot August Night
UB40’s “Red Red Wine”
Many folks probably do not know that Neil Diamond wrote “Red Red Wine.” Most probably know the more popular version of the song — the 1983 reggae hit cover version by UB40. Heck, at the time UB40 put the song on their covers album, Labour of Love
According to Wikipedia, UB40 were only aware of a version by Tony Tribe. The did not realize that the writer credit on their album, “Diamond,” was Neil.
But UB40 were able to turn the song into something new when they found the reggae rhythm that fits the song perfectly. Reportedly, Diamond loves the UB40 cover and has even performed their version in concert.
A Song for the Heartbroken
Of course, like most great songs about alcohol, “Red Red Wine” is not really about a beverage. It is a heartbreak song. The singer and his blue blue heart uses the wine to get through his pain. Although I like the different versions of the song, it is in Diamond’s original version where you most sense the aching in the lyrics, “Don’t let me be alone.”
As for the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, it was an important step toward ending Prohibition. By the end of the year, on December 5, 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment was ratified, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment’s ban. Americans were once again free to to drink all types of alcohol. The failures of Prohibition are still cited today as states struggle with issues surrounding the legality of marijuana.
But thinking about “Red Red Wine” in the context of Prohibition, I see that perhaps the great tragedy was not that people could not celebrate and laugh with a drink. Instead, I wonder how in the world the heartbroken survived from 1920 to 1933 without being able to drink some red red wine.
What is your favorite drinking song? Leave your two cents in the comments. Prohibition photo via public domain.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
