Farmer's Curst Wife- Henneberry (NS) 1950 Creighton A
[From: Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia by Creighton and Senior, 1950. The title is not local and should be, "There was an Old Farmer." This is Mr. Faulkner's version published in 1932 with verses from Ben Henneberry (1863 - October 12, 1951), it was sung again for Creighton by Ben's son, Edmund Henneberry (Dec. 11, 1898 - 1984) for the 1950 edition with the additional last verse (see Henneberry's comments below).
Here's an excerpt from: Canadian Journal for Traditional Music (1988); Retrospective Repertoire Analysis: The Case Study of Ben Henneberry, Ballad Singer of Devil's Island, Nova Scotia by Diane Tye:
For Ben Henneberry singing appears to have been important not only to occupational contexts, but within familial settings as well. Ben's father, grandfather, uncle, and brother all sang. In addition, the singer passed on his songs to at least two of his children.[21] His son Alexander — with whom he lived at nearby Eastern Passage after the government resettled the island when it was perceived to be in a militarily-vulnerable position during World War II — sang at least one song of publishable quality for Creighton. It was Edmund, however, who appears to have inherited his father's musical ability for Creighton comments that this son knew all his father's songs.[22]
Footnotes:
21. He married at least once and was father to five daughters and three sons. Helen Creighton, Bluenose Magic (Toronto: McGraw, 1968) 18 describes how Ben and son Edmund experienced a forerunner of Mrs. Henneberry's death several days before she died of childbirth. As Creighton later refers to his wife in the present, Ben must have remarried (Songs and Ballads xiv).
22. Creighton, Life in Folklore 60.]
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- Version A. Collected by H. C. Sung by Edmund Henneberry, Devil's Island.
1. There was an old farmer lived on a hill,
( whistle )
There was an old farmer lived on a hill,
And if he's not dead he lives there still,
To my chorl-a li -do chorl-a-li-do fall the dol did-dle dey.
2. The old devil he came to the man at the plow.
He says, "I am after your scolding wife now." Cho.
3. " Take her old devil with all of my heart,
I hope you and her will never part. " Cho.
4. The old devil he flounced her on his back
And like an oid pedler went carrying his pack. Cho.
5. He carried her till he came in sight of hell,
And says, "Here you old woman, it's here you must dwell." Cho.
6. The devil he opened a big iron door
And he slammed her in among ten thousand more. cho.
7 . The little devils they all hung on chains,
She up with her foot and she kicked out their brains. cho.
8. Some of them they hung on wire,
she up with her foot and kicked nine in the fire. clro.
9. Three little devils peeped over the wall
Saying, " Take her away master or she'll kill us all." Cho.
10. The old devil he flounced her on his back
And like an old fool he carried her back. Cho.
11. "Oh here's your wife, she's not worth a curse,
She's been all through hell and she's ten devils worse." Cho.
12. And then she went whistling over the hill,
"If the devil won't have me I don't know who will." cho.
13. Oh women they are so much worse than men,
If you send them to hell they get sent back again. cho.