Bluegrass Messengers

Drunkard's Courtship- Etheridge (NC) 1924 Chappell

[from Chappell, "Folk Songs of the Roanoke and Abermarle," # 120, "The Drunkard's Courtship" (p. 199-200)

R. Matteson 2017]

The Drunkard's Courtship- sung by Harriet Etheridge of Manteo, NC before 1924, collected Chappell.

"Kind sir, I see you've come again
And yet I told you "No,"
When I left you at Gardner's Well,
I told you to come no more."

"Kind miss, I have a very fine house,
And a very fine lot besides,
And it shall be at your command,
If only you'll be my bride.

"Oh sir, I know your very fine house,
And  a very fine lot besides,
And it shall be at your command,
But I never can be your bride."


"Kind miss, I have a very fine farm,
Full sixty acres wide[2],
And it can be at your command
If you'll only be my bride."

"Kind sir, I know your very fine farm,
Full sixty acres wide,
But you'll get drunk and the fence will go down,
And the hog will root, root root.

kind miss I never get drunk,
I never though it right.{3]

But as you are so hard to suit,
so thundering hard to please,
When you get old and chilled with cold,
I pray to God you'll freeze.

When I get old and chilled with cold,
It won't be you to keep me warm,
I'll get another whoever he may be,
Good-bye if you call that gone.

1. Gordonsville
2. original "rood"
3. The rest of the stanza is missing