To The Afflicted
"Oil on the Brain" (1865)
Comic Ballad
Song and Chorus
Words and Music By Eastburn.
[pseud. for Joseph Eastburn Winner, 1837-1918]

Philadelphia: Lee & Walker, 722 Chestnut St.
Electrotyped By L. Johnson & Co., Philadelphia
[Source: 053/019@Levy]

1. The Yankees boast that they make clocks, 
Which “just beat all creation:“ 
They never made one could keep time 
With our great speculation. 
Our stocks, like clocks, go with a spring, 
Wind up, run down again: 
But all our strikes are sure to cause 
“Oil on the brain,”

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
Stock’s par, stock’s up, 
Then on the wane: 
Ev’rybody’s troubled with 
“Oil on the brain.”

2. There’s various kinds of oil afloat, 
Codliver, Castor, Sweet;  
Which tend to make a sick man well, 
And set him on his feet. 
But ours a curious feat perform: 
We just a well obtain, 
And set the people crazy with 
“Oil on the brain.”

3. There’s neighbor Smith, a poor young man, 
Who couldn’t raise a dime;  
Had clothes which boasted many rents, 
And took his “nip” on time. 
But now he’s clad in dandy style, 
Sports diamonds, kids, and cane; 
And his success was owing to 
“Oil on the brain.”

4. Miss Simple drives her coachandfour, 
And dresses in high style; 
And Mister Shoddy courts her strong, 
Because her “Dad’s struck ile.” 
Her jewels, laces, velvets, silks, 
Of which she is so vain, 
Were brought by “Dad” the time he had 
“Oil on the brain.”

5. You meet a friend upon the street:
He greets you with a smile,
And tells you, in a hurried way,
He’s “just gone into ile.”
He buttonholes you half an hour:
Of course you can’t complain,
For you can see the fellow has
“Oil on the brain.”

6. The lawyers, doctors, hatters, clerks,
Industrious and lazy,
Have put their money all in stocks,—
In fact, have gone “oil crazy.”
They‘d better stick to briefs and pills,
Hot irons, ink, and pen;
Or they will “kick the bucket” from
“Oil on the brain.”

7. Poor Mrs. Jones was taken ill:
The doctors gave her up:
They lost the confidence they had
In lancet, leech, and cup.
“Affliction sore lone time she bore;
Physicians were in vain;”
And she at last expired of
“Oil in the brain.”

8. There‘s “Maple Shade,” “Excelsior,”
“Bull Creek,” “Big Tank,” “Dalsell,”
And “Keystone,” “Star,” “Vemango,” “Briggs,”
“Organic” and “Farrell,”
“Petroleum,” “Saint Nicholas,”
“Corn Planter,” “New Creek Vein.”
Sure, ’tis no wander many have
“Oil on the brain.”