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Devilish Mary
Traditional Old Time Ballad and Breakdown- US; widely disseminated.
ARTIST: From the Max Hunter collection as sung by Mrs. Roxie Phillips, Berryville, Arkansas on November 4, 1958.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: Earliest date-1897.
OTHER NAMES: I'm Going to Take the Train to Charlotte
RECORDING INFO: Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers, "Devilish Mary" (Columbia 15589-D, 1930; on CrowTold02, GTanner01); Pete Seeger, "Devilish Mary" (on PeteSeeger02, PeteSeegerCD01) Art and Paul. Hangin', Drinkin' and Stuff, Columbia CL 1702, LP (196?), cut# 3; Atcher, Bob. Early American Folk Songs, Columbia HL 9006, LP (1949), cut#B.01; Beers Family. Golden Skein, Biograph BLP-12054, LP (1972), cut# 3; Beers Family. Introducing the Beers Family, Columbia MS-6705, LP (196?), cut#A.04; Bluestein, Evo. Evo's Autoharp, Greenhays GR 715, LP (1985), cut# 11; Brand, Oscar. Shivaree!, Esoteric ES-538, LP (1955), cut# 12; Hall, Kenny; and the Sweets Mill String Band. Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band, Bay TPH-727, LP (1973), cut#B.01; Highwoods String Band. No. 3 Special, Rounder 0074, LP (1978), cut# 9; Ives, Burl. Women. Folk Songs About the Fair Sex, Decca DL 8246, LP (195?), cut#B.05; Neaves, Glen; and the Grayson County Boys. Traditional Music From Grayson and Carroll Counties, Folkways FS 3811, LP (1962), cut# 5; Odetta. Odetta at Town Hall, Vanguard VRS-9103, LP (1962), cut#A.04; Red Fox Chasers. Red Fox Chasers, County 510, LP (1967), cut# 10; Skillet Lickers. Skillet Lickers, Vol. 1, County 506, LP (196?), cut# 6; Stamper, Billy Don; and Earl Thomas, Jr.. Land of Yahoe, Rounder 8041, CD (1996), cut#16; Tanner, Gordon; and Joe Miller. Skillet Licker Music, 1955-1991. The Tanner Legacy, Global Village C 310, Cas (1992), cut#B.06; Wills, Bob; and the Texas Playboys. Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 6. Sally Goodin, Kalidescope F-27, LP (1987), cut# 12;
SOURCES: Lomax-FSNA 93, "Devilish Mary,” American Balladry from British Broadsides, Amer. Folklore Society, Bk (1957), p275; Anderson, Jubal. Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p101; Laws Q4, "Devilish Mary" Randolph 437, "Devilish Mary;" Lomax-FSNA 93, "Devilish Mary;" Chase, pp. 154-155, "Devilish Mary;" Botkin-SoFolklr, p. 721, "Devilish Mary;" PSeeger-AFB, p. 70, "Devilish Mary;" Darling-NAS, pp. 145-149, "Devilish Mary;" Silber-FSWB, p. 191, "Devilish Mary"
NOTES: This song of English origin was popular in the Georgia area not only with the Skillet Lickers but other recording artists like Roba Stanley. Fiddlin' John Carson did a song with the same melody titled, "Take the Train to Charlotte." Found in Jubal Anderson’s Fiddle Book-Oak Pub. and Kenny Hall’s Music Book- Mel Bay Pub. (with words from the Skillet Lickers and fiddle solo). The verse to this popular ballad (Laws Q4) has a similar melody to “Old Joe Clark” and "Yankee Doodle."
LYRICS:
VERSE 1: As I went down to New Orleans
I didn't have long to tarry
But I fell in love with a pretty little girl
They called her, devilish Mary.
CHORUS: All the boys in that old town
Called her, devilish Mary.
All the boys in that old town
Called her, devilish Mary.
VERSE 2: She an' I jest went to courtin'
And we courted while I tarried.
In th course of two or three weeks
She and I were married.
VERSE 3: Then one day, I said to her,
That she'd better wash the dishes.
She jumped in the yard and popped her fist
And swore, she'd wear the britches.
VERSE 4: Then one day, I said to her,
Better if we were parted
N' by the time I spoke the words
She got her duds and started
VERSE 5: If ever I marry again in this world
Won't be for love or riches
I'll marry some little duck-legged girl
That can't wear my britches
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