Bubbalub, Explained

Between the mid '70s and '80s, I was forced to share my Wheaties with the likes of Alabama and Waylon Jennings. Nearly every morning, West Palm Beach's "Country K" belched out of a radio atop our refrigerator. Maybe that's why I generally loathe this genre of music, though it is good for a few laughs at times. The morning DJ, the "Breakfast Berry" was a pleasant enough voice; he even came and visited my 5th grade class once. When he asked how many of us liked country music, several hands shot up while my bud (the one who introduced me to AC/DC and Rush) sitting behind me groaned. Though, Mike did also introduce me to Molly Hatchet....

One song that always seemed to play on the K was Merle Haggard's "Rainbow Stew", which featured a line in the chorus that sounded like, "And I'll be drinkin' that free Bubbalub...." I forever wondered what "Bubbalub" was. Was it some Southern alcoholic thing? Moonshine? More Satan sauce the Baptists told me to stay away from?

Many years later, I saw the above drink at Cracker Barrel. Bubble Up is a lemon/lime soft drink, like a redneck version of 7-Up or Sprite. That long ago song jumped out of my head. I looked up the lyrics. Sho nuff! Mystery solved. By the way, Merle's singing, "We'll all be drinkin' that free Bubble Up...."

This is not the same studio version I remember, but nonetheless.....