Farmer's Curst Wife- Harmon (TN) 1930 Henry (no local title given)
Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands - A Collection Of Traditional Folk Songs & Ballads, Collected & Edited By Mellinger Edward Henry, c 1933
[The Hicks family (Samuel Harmon's grandfather), from Beech Mountain NC is well known for their knowledge of folk songs, ballads and folklore. See Roots for more info.]
26 THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE
(Child, No. 278)
Davis gives thirteen texts and six tunes from Virginia and points out that a text like the following fits the comic story of the ballad. (Cf. Child A). For American texts, see Barry, No. 28; Barry-Eckstorm-Smyth, p. 325; Belden, No. 13; Campbell and Sharp, No. 34; Cox, No. 30; Flanders and Brown, p. 226; Davis, No. 46; Mackenzie, Ballads, No. 15; Sharp, Songs, II, No. 3; Journal, XIX, 298 (Belden); XXIV, 348 (Barry); XXVII, 68 (Barry); XXX, 329 (Kittredge); PTFLS, No. 10, pp. 164—165.
Recorded by Mrs. Henry from the singing of Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, August, 1930. Mr. Harmon learned the song from his Grandfather Hicks.
1. The old devil came to me one day at my plow.
(Whistle a line)
It's not your old daughter that now I crave,
But your scolding wife and her I will have.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
2. The old devil picked her up on his back.
(Whistle a line)
And like an old fool he went wagging her off.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
3. He tuk her down to the forks of the road.
(Whistle a line)
Says, "Old woman, you are a terrible load."
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
4. He tuk her down to the devil's den.
(Whistle a line)
And poked her in like an old wet hen.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
5. Two little devils went to set her up higher.
(Whitstle a Line)
She's up with her foot and kicked nine in the fire.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
6. Old Lucifer peeped over the wall.
(Whistle a line)
"Take her back, daddy, she'll murder us all."
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
7. He's six years a-going and seven coming back.
(Whistle a line)
Like an old fool he came wagging her back.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
8. She called for the hominy she left on the pot,
(Whistle a line)
Up over the fire a-biling so hot.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.
9. The old man's been sick and in the bed.
(Whistle a line)
She picked up the ladle and bursted his head.
And to rand dowdle lin dowdle in day.