Four Nights' Experience- Gordon Tanner (GA) 1930s REC 1982
[From Down Yonder: Old-Time string Band Music from Georgia; Gordon Tanner fiddle; Joe Miller guitar; John Patterson banjo. Inexplicably, the title is "Four Nights Experience" but Tanner only has three nights of lyrics- maybe the fourth night was left off or there were copyright issues so I've added another night using the "boots" verse. The recording was made in 1982.
Tanner (b. 1916) learned this version from his father, Skillet Licker fiddler Gid Tanner, probably in the early 1930s and at least by 1934. In the Skillet Lickers version (1926 unissed then 1934 "Three Nights Drunk" with Gordon), Gid sang the woman's part falsetto while Riley Puckett sang the lead.
R. Matteson Jr. 2013]
"Four Nights Experience."- Gordon Tanner (GA) 1930s REC 1982
1. The first night when I got home,
Drunk as I could be,
I found a hoss in the stable,
Where my hoss ought to be.
"Now come my wife, my dear little wife
Explain this thing to me,
How come a hoss standing in the stable,
Where my hoss ought to be?"
"Oh, you blind fool, you blind fool,
Can't you never see?
It's nothing but a milk-cow,
Your granny sent to me."
I rambled this wide world over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
Saddle on a milk cows back
I never have seen before.
2. The second night when I got home,
Drunk as I could be,
I found a coat, on the rack,
Where my coat ought to be.
"Now come my wife, my dear little wife
Explain this thing to me,
How come a coat on the rack
Where my coat ought to be?
Oh, you blind fool, you blind fool,
Can't you never see?
It's nothing but a bed quilt,
Your granny give to me."
I rambled this wide world over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
But pockets on a bed quilt
I never did see before.
3. The third night when I got home,
Drunk as I could be,
I found a head on the pillow
Where my head ought to be.
"Now come my wife, my dear little wife
Explain this thing to me,
How come there's a head on the pillow,
Where my head ought to be?"
"Oh, you blind fool, you blind fool,
Can't you never see?
It's nothing but a cabbage head,
Your granny give to me."
I rambled this wide world over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
Moustache on a cabbage head
I never have seen before.
[The fourth night when I come home,
Drunk as I could be,
I found boots in the corner,
Where my boots ought to be.
etc.
It's nothing but a cream pitcher,
Your granny give to me!
Cream pitcher with boots on,
I never have seen before.]