Devil and the Farmer's Wife- Hammontree (AR) 1954 Parler; Bronson 40
"Devil and the Farmer's Wife"- Sung by Doney Hammontree, Farmington, Ark., July 1954 LC/AAFS, rec. No. 11,894 (86). Recorded by Mary Celeste Parler. pn2 (compass of a sixth)
1. The devil came up from Hell one day
Zip! zip! Whistle,
To a farmer's house just over the way,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
2. The farmer was scared within an inch of his life,
Zip! zip! Whistle
"It's not you but your scolding wife,"
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
3. "Take her O take her with all my heart,
Zip! zip! Whistle
I hope you and her will never part.
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
4. The devil he swung her across his back
Zip! zip! Whistle
And down to Hell he went clickety clack,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
5. There was one little devil a-catching flies,
Zip! zip! Whistle
She grabbed up the hell-hooks and gouged out his eyes,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum
6. There was another devil a-wiggling in the coals,
Zip! zip! Whistle
She laid him flat with a ten-foot pole.
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
7. There was another little devil peeped over the wall,
Zip! zip! Whistle
She never left none of him at all,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
8. The devil he wished he had never been born
Zip! zip! Whistle
When she grabbed up a club and knocked off a horn
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
9. And tiren he deiivered a pitiful wail,
Zip! zip! Whistle
When a back-handed lick jerked a knot in liis tail,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
10. There was seven little devils, they raised up a squall
Zip! zip! Whistle
Saying, Take her out, Daddy, she'll kill us all,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
11. The devil he swung her across his back
Zipl zipl Whistle
And to the young farmer went clickety clack,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.
12. Said he, Young farmer, I'm sorry to tell,
Zip! zip! Whistle
She whipped me and all the devils in Hell,
Sing tithery i, sing tithery o dum.