Main Piece:

Participant “Okay so when you want somebody to finish their drink quickly or like you just want them to get drunk…legally… we have this chant where it goes, um… ‘weeee like to drink with Amy cause Amy is our mate, and when we drink with Amy she gets it down in 8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1’ and then they have to finish it within that song”

Context:

The participant always sings this drinking song when her and her friends go out, everyone was unfamiliar with the song but quickly caught on. I asked her to explain it to the group.

Background:

The participant is originally from England and just recently moved to the United States as an international student. She is a second semester freshman at the University of Southern California in the Cinema and Media Studies Program. The drinking age in England is 18 and this is an extremely common song among the participant and her friends from home. She learned this song from her peers and it has become a fun song they always sing on their nights out.           

Analysis:

Drinking songs are popular all over the world and vary from place to place. They act as a sort of bonding mechanism and help to bring a party and group of people closer together. It also can act as a rite of passage. As a kid, you are not allowed to be included in all the songs until you reach a certain threshold at which point you are then allowed to participate.