Grateful Dead Family Discography: Beer Barrel Polka

Beer Barrel Polka

Composer: Jaromir Vejvoda / Vaclav Zeman / Lew Brown / Wladimir Timm

Beer Barrel Polka was not performed in full by the Grateful Dead but was sometimes "noodled" by one of more members of the band during tuning and other delays.

The music that forms the basis of Beer Barrel Polka was written in 1927 by the Czech musician Jaromir Vejvoda. This piece was called the Modranská Polka. Lyrics, by Václav Zeman, were added to the piece in the early 1930's and the resulting song was called Skoda Lasky. An English language version, with lyrics by Lew Brown and Wladimir Timm and with the title Beer Barrel Polka, was introduced in the US by Will Glahe and his Musette Orchestra in 1939. The song is sometimes known as Roll Out The Barrel.

Grateful Dead

Dick's Picks, Vol. 12, Grateful Dead, 1998
Dick's Picks, Vol. 14, Grateful Dead, 1999
Dick's Picks, Vol. 28, Grateful Dead, 2003

Other recordings

This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Only versions with the Beer Barrel Polka title are included.

no info Will Glahe and his Musette Orchestra, 1939
no info The Andrews Sisters, 1939
no info Gray Gordon's TicToc Rhythm, 1939
no info Jolly Jack Robel & His Band, 1939
no info Henry Busse & His Orchestra, 1939
no info The Hoosier Hotshots, 1940
no info Bill Gale & His Music Makers, 1941
no info John Wilfahrt, 1941
no info Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra, 1949
no info Arthur Smith & His Cracker Jacks, 1950
Polka Parade, Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks, 1951
no info Single (Beer Barrel Polka / Star Dust), Grady Martin, 1951
no info Honky Tonk, Pete Handy, 1952
no info Polka Parade, Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks, 1953
no info Background Music: Bright and Bouncy, Bill Loose, Gardiner Gibbs, Jack Stern & Charles Romo, 1953
no info Liberace at the Hollywood Bowl, Liberace, 1955
no info Frankie Yankovic's Polka Party, Frankie Yankovic, 1955
no info Polka Party, Charles Magnante, 1956
no info Music to Break a Lease, Don Costa and His Freeloaders, 1956
no info Square Dances, Bill Mooney and Cactus Twisters, 1956
no info Single, Don Reno, Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cutups, 1957
no info Mr. Z Polkas, Harry Zimmerman, 1957
no info Plays the Conn Electric Organ, George Wright, 1957
no info Honky Tonk Piano, Pete Handy, 1958
no info Plays The Million Sellers, Johnny Maddox, 1958
no info Delirium in Hi-Fi, Elsa Popping and Her Pixieland Band, 1958
no info Let's Have a Party, Irving Fields, 1959
Polka Time, Dick Contino, 1959
no info Happy Honky Tonk Piano, Russ Conway, 1959
It's Polka Time, Stosh & His Polka-Tones, 1959
no info Top Polka Million Sellers, Kenny Bass and His Orchestra, 1962
no info All Stars Of Polkaland, U.S.A., Polka All Stars, 1963
no info Polkas, Myron Floren, 1963
no info The Mills Brothers Sing for You, The Mills Brothers, 1964
no info Golden Country Hits, Hank Thompson, 1964
no info Black Lace, Bill Black's Combo, 1967
no info Music for All Occasions, Various Artists, 1969
Minus Seeds & Stems, The Sons Of Champlin, 1971
no info Penny Arcade, Magic Organ, 1972
no info The Best of Lawrence Welk, Lawrence Welk, 1972
no info The World's Greatest Melodies, Chet Atkins, 1972
no info The Polka King, Myron Floren, 1975
no info The Best of Andrews Sisters, The Andrews Sisters, 1977
Radio Shows, Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, 1978
no info Country Guitar Giants, Merle Travis and Joe Maphis, 1979
no info 24 Greatest Polkas, Lawrence Welk/Myron Floren, 197?
Warren County String Ticklers, Warren County String Ticklers, 1980
no info Tougher Than Leather, Willie Nelson, 1981
no info Reach Up and Touch the Sky- Live, Southside Johnny and The Asbury Dukes, 1981
no info 20 Polkas and Waltzes, The Happy Organ, 1984
no info World's Greatest Polkas, Lawrence Welk, 1986
no info Musical Varieties, Brave Combo, 1987
no info 22 Great Polkas, Myron Floren, 1987
no info All-Stars of Polkaland, USA, Various Artists, 1988
no info St. Louis Blues, De Witt Scott, 1989
no info 16 Most Requested Songs, Lawrence Welk, 1989
no info 16 Most Requested Polkas, Various Artists, 1989
no info Hooked On Polkas, Joey Miskulin, 1990
no info 16 Great Performances, The Andrews Sisters, 1990
no info The 50th Anniversary, Vols. 1 and 2, The Andrews Sisters, 1990
no info Capitol Collectors Series, The Andrews Sisters, 1991
no info Greatest Polka Hits of All Time, Bobby Vinton, 1991
no info 20 Favorite Polkas and Waltzes - the Happy Organ, Various Artists, 1991
no info The Golden Age of Television, Vol. 1, Liberace, 1991
no info French Musette Party, Max Marino, 1992
no info Play the Million Seller Polkas and The Greatest Band In Polka Land, Stan Wolowic, 1992
no info Dance Little Bird, Bob Kames and Happy Organ, 1992
no info A Musical Anthology, Lawrence Welk, 1992
no info The Big Bands of Hollywood, Desi Arnaz, 1992
no info All-Time Favorites, The Andrews Sisters, 1992
no info The Andrews Sisters, The Andrews Sisters, 1992
no info The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959, Billie Holiday, 1993
no info Polkas De Oro, Various Artists, 1993
Guitar Rags & A Too Fast Past, Merle Travis, 1994
no info The Collection, Andrews Sisters, 1994
no info Banjo Bandits, Roy Clark and Buck Trent, 1994
Early Years 1951-59, Reno and Smiley, 1994
no info 25 Million Seller Polka Hits, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 1994
no info Polka Polka Polka, Various Artists, 1994
no info 24 Polkas Greatest Hits, Myron Floren, 1995
no info 48 Polka and Waltz Medley, Frankie Yankovic, 1995
no info Polka's Greatest Hits, The Emeralds, 1995
no info Please Don't Shoot the Piano Player, Various Artists, 1995
no info The World's Greatest Polka Package, Various Artists, 1995
no info English Pub Songs, Various Artists, 1995
no info Polka Dance Party, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 1995
no info Polka's All Time Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 1995
no info The Magic of the Andrews Sisters, Andrews Sisters, 1996
no info Let's Have A Party, Dermot O'Brien, 1996
no info Dot's Polkatainment, Mr. Z, 1996
no info Songs of the Polka King, Vol. 1, Frankie Yankovic, 1996
no info Gourpe Jaz, Ronnie Kol, 1996
no info Pop History 1962, Various Artists (The Andrews Sisters), 1996
no info Dance Little Bird, Frankie Yankovic, 1997
no info Little Zane, Raymond Fairchild, 1997
no info Golden Sounds, Andrews Sisters, 1997
no info Sports Rock and Jams, Vol. 2, Various Artists, 1997
no info Taste Of Tex Mex, Various Artists (Valerio Longora), 1997
no info The Chesterfield Broadcasts, Vol. 1, Andrews Sisters, 1998
Greatest Hits: The 60th Anniversary Collection, Andrews Sisters, 1998
no info Polka Party, Various Artists (Will Glahe), 2000
no info Hit Parade 1939, Various Artists (Will Glahe), 2007
The Originals: The Accordion King With Orchestra and Chorus, Will Glahe, 2008