Date:  Tue, 10 Oct 1995 14:38:01 EST

From:  Beth Lee Simon <simon[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CVAX.IPFW.INDIANA.EDU>

Subject: Re: as it were



According to the song's narrative, Neal McCoy's subjunctive man was,

in his real past, indeed a drinkin' man. Hence, the subjunctive

grounded in the simple past: "If I (still) was a drinkin' man"

which, for lyric writing/music purposes would be "If I was (still) a

drinkin' man".



beth