Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, May 1922 · page 28 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #33 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical magazine page from the Prohibition era (likely 1920s-early 1930s), mocking alcohol prohibition through humor. **"The Song of the Moonshiners"** parodies the patriotic hymn "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," celebrating illegal alcohol production instead of American virtues. The joke: Senator Stanley of Kentucky read this into Congress, highlighting the absurdity of prohibition—a law so widely flouted that even lawmakers mock it. **"Oh, Farmer, Farmer Sit On Your Fence"** contains sexual innuendo: "propagate" suggests breeding/reproduction; the farmer "couldn't" after his fences fell—a crude joke about lost virility. **"A Boozehound's Lament"** plays on words: "Jimjams" (delirium tremens, alcohol withdrawal symptoms) sounds like the name "Jim," while "wetgoods" is slang for illegal alcohol. **"Whiz Bang Health Hint"** and the Roman punch joke are standard ribald humor common to the magazine. Overall, the page satirizes Prohibition's failure and widespread public contempt for the law.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
26 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Land of the Grape and Tea Here is "The Song of the Moonshiners" that was recently read into the Congressional Rec- ord by Senator Stanley of Kentucky: "My country 'tis of thee, Land of grape juice and tea. Of thee I sing. Land where we all have tried To break the law and lied, From every mountain side The bootlegs spring. "My native country thee, Land of home brewery, Thy brew I love. I love thy booze and thrills And thy illicit stills, The moonshine runs in rills From high above." * * * Oh, Farmer, Farmer Sit On Your Fence Farmer Brown is shiftless, With work he's always late; A storm blew all his fences down, And he couldn't propagate. * * * A Boozehound's Lament Jam comes from fruit, says Jim, From hogs we get our hams; He says with equal vim, Wetgoods give him Jimjams. * * * Whiz Bang Health Hint Yes, Madge, walking sometimes keeps one from becoming fat. * * * To make a Roman punch—call him a liar.