The Old Man Came Home- Young (ME) 1929 Barry A
[From: British Ballads From Maine- 1929, Barry Eckstorm and Smyth. Barry et all have little to say about this ballad. Young's version appears to be very old.
R. Matteson 2013]
OUR GOODMAN (Child 274)-
This old song is rather common, yet, since the form of it makes improvisation easy it is often so vulgar as to be undesirable. A version, "Ods bobs, here's fun," was sung by Mr. Walcot at the Boston Museum, October 14, 1841.
A. "The Old Man Came Home." From Mrs. Susie Carr Young, traditional in her family. Melody recorded
by Mr. George Herzog.
1. The old man came home, and home came he,
Found a horse in the stable, where his own ought to be.
"Wife, dear wife, do tell unto me:
How came this horse where my own ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see,
This is a sow-pig my mother sent to me?"
"I've travelled this world three hundred miles or more,
And a saddle on a sow-pig's back I never saw before."
2. The old man came home and home came he,
Found a whip on the nail where his own ought to be.
"Wife, dear wife, do tell unto me:
How came this whip where my own ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see,
This is a churn-dash that my mother sent to me?" [1]
"I've travelled this world three hundred miles or more,
And a lash on a churn-dash's what I never saw before."
3 The old man came home, and home came he,
Found a hat on the table where his own ought to be:
"Wife, dear wife, do tell unto me,
How came this hat where my own ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see,
This is a cream-pot my mother sent to me?"
"I've travelled this world three hundred miles or more,
And fur on a cream-pot's what I never saw before."
4 The old man came home, and home came he,
Found a man in the place where himself ought to be.
"Wife, dear wife, do tell unto me:
How came this man where myself ought to be?"
"You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see,
This is a baby my mother sent to me?"
"I've travelled this world three hundred miles or more,
And whiskers on a baby's what I never saw before."
1. Churn-dash= bed quilt