The Farmer's Curst Wife- Hogan (AR) 1960 Todd; Bronson 19
"The Farmer's Curst Wife" Sung by Mrs. Phydella Gilbert Hogan, Fayetteviile, Ark., January, 1960. LC/AAFS, rec. No. 12,043(A5). Recorded by Patrick Todd. p ii 1, on mediant octave
1. There was an old man and his name was Bill,
He lived all alone up on top of a hill
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
2. He hitched up his oxen each morning to plow
And plowed out a furrow, the devil knows how
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
3. One day he went and married a wife,
She soon became the bane of his life
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
4. He hitched up the oxen one morning to plow
And then the old devil came up right now
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
5. You have a wife and a son, said he,
Methinks you'd better give one to me
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
6. Says he, You old devil, you must be in fun,
You cannot have my only son
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
7. 'Tis not your only son I crave
But your hag of a wife and her I will have
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
8. Well, take her along, with all of my heart,
Here's hoping to God that you never do part
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
9. He took her right upon his back,
You never saw a peddler more proud of his pack
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
10. He took her down to the gates of sin
And there, by gum, he did tumble her in
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
11. Now, ten little devils were hanging up chains,
She picked up the ax and warped out their brains
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
12. But one little devil took up over the wall,
Said, Take her back Daddy, she's killing us all
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
13. He picked up the ax and he gave her a whack,
She grabbed a sledge-hammer and wailoped him back
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
14. They fought and they scratched all over the place
When the devil fell down she spit in
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
15. And then she jumped upon his back,
Saying, You trotted me here but you'll gallop me back,
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
16. When the old man saw 'em he took over the hill,
If the devil won't have you, I don't know who will
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
17. One day she caught him asleep on the bed,
With her old pewter pot she knocked him stone dead.
Sing ti o rattle ding day.
18. So now you see what a woman can do,
She can conquer all Hell and her husband too
Sing ti o rattle ding day.