I Came Home - Surber (FL) pre1950 Morris
[My title, unless "our good man" is in the text it can't really be a title, only a categorization. Title, "Our Good Man," supplied by Morris. This version is considerably older than 1950.]
From: Folksongs of Florida, by Morris 1950; English and Scottish Songs
170. OUR GOODMAN (Child, No. 274)
The American predilection for humor has probably kept this Old World ballad alive in the folk memory. Belden has pointed out that the song possesses vitaliry in sections as widely scattered as Aberdeenshire, the Bahamas, and Nova Scotia. In addition to the references cited in the excellent headnote in Belden, pp. 89-90, Randolph I, 181, lists several recently reported variants. Davis, Folksongs, pp. 31-32, lists seven variants from Virginia, five of which are entitled "Three Night's Experience."
"I Came Home" ("Our Good Man") Sung by Miss Elsie Surber, Panama City, who learned it from her father.
I came home the other night,
Just as drunk as I could be;
Found a horse in the stable,
Where my horse ought to be.
"Oh come here, little wifie,
And explain this thing to rne.
What's a horse doing in the stable,
Where my horse ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool,
Can't you plainly see,
That's nothing but a milk cow,
My granny sent to me?"
I've traveled this world over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
But a saddle on a milk cow
I've never seen before.
I came home the next night,
Just as drunk as I could be.
I found a hat a-hanging on the rack
Where my hat ought to be.
"Oh come, my little wifie,
Explain this thing to me.
What's a hat doing on the rack
Where my hat ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool,
Can't you plainly see,
That's nothing but a dish pan
My granny sent to me?"
I've traveled this world over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
But a dish pan with a brim
I've never seen before.
I came home the next night,
Just as drunk as I could be.
I found a coat hanging on the wall
Where my coat ought to be.
"Oh come, my little wifie,
Explain this thing to me.
"What's a coat doing on the wall
Where my coat ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool,
Can't you plainly see,
It's nothing but a blanket
My granny sent to me?"
I've traveled this wodd over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
But buttons on a blanket
I've never seen before.
I came home the next night,
Just as drunk as I could be.
I saw a head lying on the bed
Where my head ought to be.
"Oh come, my little wifie,
Explain this thing to me.
What's a head lying on the bed
Where my head ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool,
Can't you plainly see,
That's nothing but a cabbage head
My granny sent to me?"
I've traveled this world over,
Ten thousand miles or more,
But a mustache on a cabbage head
I've never seen before.