The Farmer's Curst Wife- Buckner (NC) 1916 Sharp A
From: English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians
Comprising 122 Songs and Ballads, and 323 Tunes With Lyrics & sheet Music
Collected by Olive Dame Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp, 1917
Notes: No. 34. The Farmer's Curst Wife.
Texts without tunes:—Child, No. 278.
Texts with tunes:—Journal of the Folk-Song Society, ii., 184; iii., 131. Dick's Songs of
Robert Burns, No. 331. American variants:—Journal of American Folk-Lore, xix., 298; xxvii., 68.
Lomax's Cowboy Songs, p. no.
"Bell, blubs," stanza 10, version A, may be a corruption of "Beelzebubs." Most of the published versions of this song have whistling refrains
No. 34: The Farmer's Curst Wife- Buckner (NC) 1916 Sharp A
1. There was an old man who followed the plough,
Sing halifor band if I do,
Sing bands and rebels, and rebels and troubles,
Sing new, new.
2. He drove six oxen and an old cow,
Sing halifor band if I do,
Sing bands and rebels, and rebels and troubles,
Sing new, new.
3 His wife she had ten hens in the lot,
Sing halifor band if I do,
Sing bands and rebels, and rebels and troubles,
Sing new, new.
4 And every day had one in the pot,
Sing halifor, etc.
5 He prayed for the devil to come get them all,
Sing halifor, etc.
6 One day the old devil he come,
Sing halifor, etc.
7 Says: Now, old man, I've come after your wife,
Sing halifor, etc.
8 He picked her up all on his back,
And away he went to old tample (or temple) shack,
Sing halifor, etc.
9 He took her down unto his den,
Sing halifor, etc.
10 Where he had bells, blubs, [1] blinds and chains,
Sing halifor, etc.
11 She picked up the axe and mauled out his brains,
Sing halifor, etc.
12 He picked her up all on his back,
And away he went to old tample shack,
Sing halifor, etc.
13 Says: Here, old man, you may have your wife,
She's almost plagued me out of my life,
Sing halifor, etc.
14 And now you see what women can do,
They can conquer men and the devil too,
Sing halifor, etc.
1. "Bell, blubs," stanza 10, version A, may be a corruption of "Beelzebubs."