Farmer's Curst Wife- Grover (NS) 1950 Creighton D
[From: Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia by Creighton and Senior, 1950. The title is not local and should be, "There was an Old Farmer." No date is given, published in 1950. Stanza 6 and 7 should be reversed. ]
Creighton notes: The Farmer's Curst Wife
[Child 278 ]
This rollicking song is one of the most singable in my collection. The legend of a curst wife, who was a terror to demons, is widely spread in Europe and the Orient as well as in Great Britain. Child writes: "See Benfey, Panchatantra, I, 519-34; and Ralston, Russian Folk-Tales, p. 39." Variants have been found with and without the effective whistling chorus. Burns is said to have founded his Carle of Killyburn Braes on this ballad.
See Journal, vol. 2, p.184; vol. 3, pp. 131, 132, etc. American texts: Hudson, pp. 124, 125; Linscott, pp. 188-191; Belden, pp. 89-91; Brewster, p. 155; Mackenzie, p. 64; Gerould, p. 48; S.B.N. S. pp. 18, 19; T.F. N. S., with piano accompaniment; Sharp, I, pp. 275-281; Barry, pp. 325-333; Gardner and Chickering, pp. 373-378; Davis, pp. 505-515; Cox, pp. 164, 165.
Library of Congress recordings: Ben Henneberry, Richard Hartlan and Edmund Henneberry; National Museum recording: Ralph Huskins.
According to Mr. Ben Henneberry, the last stanza is variable. It may be:
"This proves that women are better than men,
They can go through hell and come back again."
Or, "They can go to the devil and come back again. "
The Farmer's Curst Wife [D] Sung by Mr. Sidney Grover, Whitehead.
1. The devil he came to the farmer one day,
(whistle)
"You owe me a debt and you now got to pay."
Chorus: With my whack fall the diddy,
Fol lol the die aye.
2. "lt is not you nor your daughter I want
It's that son of a bitch of a wife you have got." Cho.
3. "Oh take her dear devil with all of my heart,
A-hoping that you and her never part." Cho.
4. The devil he carried her onto his back
And like an old pedlar when carrying his pack. Cho.
5. And when the old devil he got to hell's door,
"Go in you old bitch and not get out any more." Cho.
6. The little blue devils peeped over the wall,
"O take her back father or she'll kill us all. " Cho.
7. The devil he put her up one-step higher,
She swung her left leg knocked down nine in the fire. Cho.
8. The old devil he gathered her onto his back
And like a darn fool he went carrying her back. Cho.
9. He says to the farmer, "Here's your wife back again,
I kept her in hell till she broke all my chains." Cho.
10. And then she went whistling gver the hill,
"If the devil won't have me I don't Know who will." Cho.