Analysis of Alabama Song

Bertolt Brecht 1898 (Augsburg) – 1956 (East Berlin)



Show me the way to the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why, oh, don't ask why
Show me the way to the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why, oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find the next whisky bar
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you
I tell you
I tell you we must die

Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say say good-bye
We've lost our good old mamma
And must have whisky
Oh, you know why.

Show me the way to the next pretty girl
Oh, don't ask why, oh, don't ask why
Show me the way to the next pretty girl
Oh don't ask why, oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find the next pretty girl
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you
I tell you
I tell you we must die

Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say good-bye
We've lost our good old mamma
And must have a girl
Oh, you know why.

Show me the way to the next little dollar
Oh, don't ask why, oh, don't ask why
Show me the way to the next little dollar
Oh, don't ask why, oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find the next little dollar
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you
I tell you
I tell you we must die

Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say good-bye
We've lost our good old mamma
And must have dollars
Oh, you know why.


Scheme ABABaBBCCB DbDxB EBEBeBBCCB DBDeB FBFBfBBCCB DBDxB
Poetic Form Tetractys  (31%)
Metre 1101101101 11111111 1101101101 11111111 1111101101 111111 111111 111 111 111111 111010 1111111 11101110 01110 1111 1101101101 11111111 1101101101 11111111 1111101101 111111 111111 111 111 111111 111010 111111 11101110 01101 1111 11011011010 11111111 11011011010 11111111 11111011010 111111 111111 111 111 111111 111010 111111 11101110 01110 1111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,193
Words 274
Sentences 4
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 10, 5, 10, 5, 10, 5
Lines Amount 45
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 149
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

1:27 min read
486

Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, theatre director, and Marxist. more…

All Bertolt Brecht poems | Bertolt Brecht Books

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