Wine, women and song
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"Wine, women, and song" is a
hendiatris Hendiatris (; ) is a figure of speech used for emphasis, in which three words are used to express one idea. The phrases "sun, sea and sand", and " wine, women and song" are examples. A tripartite motto is the conventional English term for a mot ...
that endorses
hedonistic Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decre ...
lifestyles or behaviors. A more modern form of the idea is often expressed as "
sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...
and drugs and
rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
", a phrase popularized by British singer
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...
in his song of the same title.


Linguistic variations

Similar
tripartite motto Hendiatris (; ) is a figure of speech used for emphasis, in which three words are used to express one idea. The phrases "sun, sea and sand", and "wine, women and song" are examples. A tripartite motto is the conventional English term for a motto ...
es have existed for a long time in many languages, for example: * bn, Sur, Sura, Sundari, lit=music, wine and woman * bg, Пиене, ядене и някоя сгодна женица, lit=drink, food and a good woman * cs, Víno, ženy a zpěv, lit=wine, women and singing * da, Vin, kvinder og sang, lit=wine, women and song * et, Sigarettid ja viinad ja kirglised naised, lit=Cigarettes, vodka and hot women * fi, Viini, laulu ja naiset, lit=wine, song, and women also more modern as fi, Rock, ruoho ja rakkaus, lit=rock, weed and love * ka, ღვინო, დუდუკი, ქალები, tr (wine, duduk, women) *german: Wein, Weib und Gesang, lit=wine, woman and singing * it, Bacco, tabacco e Venere, lit=
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...
, tobacco and Venus * fa, Kabab, Sharab va Shabab, lit=meat, wine and youth * no, Piker, vin og sang, lit=girls, wine and song * pl, Wino, kobiety i śpiew, lit=wine, women and singing * pt, Putas, música e vinho verde, lit=whores, music and green wine * sv, Vin, kvinnor och sång, lit=wine, women and song * es, Naipes, mujeres y vino, mal camino, lit=cards, women and wine, bad way *
Colombian Spanish Colombian Spanish (Spanish: ''español colombiano'') is a grouping of the varieties of Spanish spoken in Colombia. The term is of more geographical than linguistic relevance, since the dialects spoken in the various regions of Colombia are quit ...
: (Women, music and drink) Not all hendiatris including women are positive: in gr, Πύρ, γυνή και θάλαττα, lit=fire, women and the sea instead suggest three dangers rather than pleasures, and tr, At, Avrat, Silah, lit=horse, woman, weapon offers the three essentials of quite another culture. Roman inscriptions mention , such as the ambivalent: The following poem mentions similar ideas, using four concepts rather than three: * fa, دویار زیرک و از باده کهن دو منی فراغتی و کتابی و گوشه چمنی a popular '' Ghazal'' by
Hafez Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī ( fa, خواجه شمس‌‌الدین محمّد حافظ شیرازی), known by his pen name Hafez (, ''Ḥāfeẓ'', 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "Hafiz", ...
(1325–1389): ::"Two sweethearts, ::Two flasks of old wine, ::A book of verse ::And a cosy corner in the garden." Omar Khayyam addressed the trio in 1120 in hi
Rubaiyat, verse XII
For him singing was replaced by a book, but he acknowledged its importance for others. :A book, a woman, and a flask of wine: :The three make heaven for me; it may be thine :Is some sour place of singing cold and bare — :But then, I never said thy heaven was mine. ::As translated by Richard Le Gallienne (1897) Among rural Arabs in the days before Muhammed, free women "joined in the music of the family or tribal festivities with their instruments". It was a time of the " badawī Arab". A secular people then, for them "love, wine, gambling, hunting, the pleasure of song and romance ... wit and wisdom" were all important.


Possible origins

The English couplet "Who loves not woman, wine, and song / Remains a fool his whole life long" appears in print as early as 1837, translated from German verse attributed to Martin Luther. John Addington Symonds used the phrase "Wine, Women and Song" as the title for his 1884 book of translations of medieval Latin students' songs. The phrase in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
is apparently older than in English. Symonds and the anonymous 1837 writer both provide the German text, attributing it to Luther. The attribution to Luther has been questioned, however, and the earliest known reference in German is to a folksong first printed in 1602.Fred R Shapiro ''The Yale Book of Quotations''. New Haven: Yale University Press (2006) p 477-478 ''
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'', often simply called ''Bartlett's'', is an American reference work that is the longest-lived and most widely distributed collection of quotations. The book was first issued in 1855 and is currently in its ninet ...
'' cites
Johann Heinrich Voss Johann Heinrich Voss (german: Johann Heinrich Voß, ; 20 February 1751 – 29 March 1826) was a German classicist and poet, known mostly for his translation of Homer's ''Odyssey'' (1781) and ''Iliad'' (1793) into German. Life Voss was born at S ...
(1751–1826) as a likely source,Entry in ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations''
/ref> but any use by him would have to be a later use of the phrase. The
waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...
"Wine, Women and Song" (''
Wein, Weib und Gesang ''Wein, Weib und Gesang'' (''Wine, Woman, and Song''), Op. 333, is a Viennese waltz by Johann Strauss II. It is a choral waltz in its original form, although it is seldom heard in this version today. It was commissioned for the Vienna Men's Ch ...
'') is Op. 333 (1869) of Johann Strauss II. The lines ''Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue, / Deutscher Wein, und deutscher Sang'' (German women, German loyalty, / German wine, and German song) are found in the second verse of ''
Das Lied der Deutschen The "" (; "Song of Germany"), officially titled "" (; "The Song of the Germans"), has been the national anthem of Germany either wholly or in part since 1922, except for a seven-year gap following World War II in West Germany. In East German ...
,'' the third verse of which is the German national anthem.


In popular culture

* Amber Moore, protagonist of the 2017 Netflix original movie ''
A Christmas Prince ''A Christmas Prince'' is a 2017 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Alex Zamm, written by Karen Schaler and Nathan Atkins and stars Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Tom Knight, Sarah Douglas, Daniel Fathers, Alice Krige and Tahirah Sha ...
'', uses the phrase "wine, women, and song" to describe the hedonistic lifestyle of the Prince of Aldovia. * The single "
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" is a song and single by Ian Dury. It was originally released as a Stiff Records single, with "Razzle in My Pocket" as the B-side, on 26 August 1977. The song was released under the single name "Ian Dury", but three me ...
" by
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...
, mentioned above, popularized the modern English-language form of the phrase. * The
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
and mystic
Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...
, in his work ''Energized Enthusiasm,'' suggests that "wine, women, and song" may be utilised towards the development of genius in the individual or the attainment of mystical states. * The musical trio Wine, Women and Song consists of award-winning singer/songwriters
Gretchen Peters Gretchen Peters (born November 14, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in New York, where she wrote her first song with her sister at the age of 5. In 1970, her parents broke up, and Peters moved with her mother to Boulder, ...
, Suzy Bogguss, and
Matraca Berg Matraca Maria Berg Hanna (; born February 3, 1964, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She has released five albums: three for RCA Records, one for Rising Tide Records and one for Dualtone Records, and ...
. * AC/DC quotes the motto in the title song of their album, ''
High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...
'' (1976). * In
The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
' 1964 film '' A Hard Day's Night'', the phrase is uttered by road manager Norm, in reference to Ringo, who has escaped from the studio to go gallivanting after tiring of being teased by his bandmates: "God knows what you've unleashed on the unsuspecting South. It'll be wine, women, and song all the way with Ringo when he gets the taste for it." * In a wagon scene in ''
Calvin and Hobbes ''Calvin and Hobbes'' is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic", ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has enjoyed b ...
,''
Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...
asks
Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influe ...
if he thinks the secret to happiness is "money, cars and women" or "just money and cars". *
Science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
series ''
Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tele ...
'' episode "
Born to the Purple "Born to the Purple" is the third episode of the first season of the science fiction television series, ''Babylon 5''. Plot Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is trying to negotiate a treaty between the Narn and Centauri governments over a disputed sector ...
" reveals that the password to the hedonistic ambassador Londo Mollari's "Purple Files" (i.e., blackmail material on other houses of the Centauri Republic) is "Wine, Women, Song". * American
jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational " jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often ...
Umphrey's McGee Umphrey's McGee is an American jam band originally from South Bend, Indiana. The band experiments with many musical styles, including rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, reggae, electronic, bluegrass, country, and folk. They have toured regularl ...
uses a variation of the phrase in the song "Women, Wine, and Song" on their 2006 album '' Safety in Numbers.'' * "Wine, Women an' Song" is the name of the fifth song on ''
Come an' Get It ''Come an' Get It'' is the fourth studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1981. It was, at the time, Whitesnake's highest-charting release in the UK, hitting No. 2 and being kept off the top spot by Adam and the Ants' ...
'' by
Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own en ...
* The song "I'm a Member of the Midnight Crew" by
William Jerome William Jerome Flannery, September 30, 1865 – June 25, 1932) was an American songwriter, born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York of Irish immigrant parents, Mary Donnellan and Patrick Flannery. He collaborated with numerous well-known composers a ...
and
Jean Schwartz Jean Schwartz (November 4, 1878 – November 30, 1956) was a Hungarian-born American songwriter. Schwartz was born in Budapest, Hungary. His family moved to New York City when he was 13 years old. He took various music-related jobs including dem ...
contains the verse, "I always spend my evening where there's women, wine and song." * The Bee Gees' song " Wine and Women" starts with the sentence "wine and women and song will only make me sad". It was released as a single in 1965 in Australia and was their first top 20 on the local charts and ever in their career. *Swedish hard rock band
Talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...
featuring onetime
Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
frontman
Jeff Scott Soto Jeff Scott Soto (born November 4, 1965) is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and (briefly) the lead vocalist for Journey in 2006–2007. Soto also ...
had a song called "Women, Whiskey and Songs" on their self titled 1990 debut album. * American rock band
Harvey Danger Harvey Danger was an American alternative rock band that was formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1992 by journalism students at the University of Washington. The band rose to prominence in 1997 with the single " Flagpole Sitta", which was later u ...
(best known for their 1997 song "
Flagpole Sitta "Flagpole Sitta" is a song by American rock band Harvey Danger from their 1997 debut album, '' Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?''. It was released as the band's debut single in April 1998 and was met with critical and commercial success, peak ...
") include a song titled "Wine, Women and Song" as the first track of their 2005 album '' Little by Little...'' * The 2012 song '' Rest of My Life'' by
Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, featuring Usher and
David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
, features the verse "Women, weed and alcohol". * The 1993 album by guitarist
Adrian Legg Adrian Legg (born 16 May 1948) is an English guitar player who has been called "impossible to categorize". He plays custom guitars that are a hybrid of electric and acoustic, and his fingerstyle picking technique has been acknowledged by the re ...
titled ''Wine, Women & Waltz'' utilizes a variant of the phrase. * In Disney's 1996 animated film:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...
, gargoyle Hugo mentions the phrase about the event: The Feast of Fools. * During the 1990s and 2000s, a Latin poem of unknown origin has been written on the packs of Classic, a Serbian brand of cigarette:
Omne mundi trinum, mulier, tabacum, vinum, et qui curat de pluribus, maximus est asinus!


References

{{reflist Phrases Hedonism Sex and drugs