The Drunk Husband- Taggart (WV) pre1974 Gainer
[From Gainer; Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills; 1975. His notes follow. All of Gainer's published works must be possible ballad recreations with possibly fictitious informants.
R. Matteson 2013]
(CHILD 274, "OUR GOODMAN")
There are various titles for the West Virginia survivals of this ballad, but the one most used is "The Drunk Husband." Some versions of the ballad tend to lapse into vulgarity, but this version is simply a good, humorous story which should not offend any singer or listener. Sung by Edgar Taggart, Gilmer County.
The Drunk Husband- Sung by Edgar Taggart, Gilmer County WV (no date given- published in 1974)
"My dear wife, my darling wife, O what is this I see?
Whose horse is that out in the barn where my horse ought to be?"
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see?
It's nothing but the heifer calf my mother sent to me."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"I've traveled many thousand miles over land and sea,
But a saddle on a heifer calf I never before did see."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
'The old man came home the other night as drunk as he could
He saw a hat upon the rack where his hat ought to be.
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"My dear wife, my darling wife, O what is this I see?
Whose hat is that upon the rack where my hat ought to be?"
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see?
It's nothing but the milk crock my mother sent to me."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"I've traveled many thousand miles over land and sea,
But a feather on a milk crock I never before did see."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
The old man came home the other night as drunk as he could be,
He saw a coat hang on the wall where his coat ought to be.
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"My dear wife, my darling wife, O what is this I see?
Whose coat is that hangs on the wall where my coat ought to be?"
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see?
It's nothing but the coverlid my mother sent to me."
Sing a fa Ia diddle-i-day .
"I 've traveled many thousand miles over land and sea,
But buttons on a coverlid I never before did see."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
The old man came home the other night as drunk as he could be,
He saw a head lie on the couch where his head ought to be.
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"My dear wife, my darling wife, O what is this I see?
Whose head is that upon the couch where my head ought to be?"
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see?
It's nothing but a cabbage head my mother sent to me."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.
"I've traveled many thousand miles over land and sea,
But a mustache on a cabbage head I never before did see."
Sing a fa la diddle-i-day.