Three Nights of Experience- O'Quinn (VA) 1936 Scarborough B
[This, similar to Scarborough A, has taken the title of Earl Johnson's 1927 version titled, "Three Night's Experience." Whether it's a cover of Johnson's song is unclear. There are some slight differences, the Scottish "milch cow" for example. No traditional singer would come up with this title and I'm sure Scarborough didn't (although she might have added the "of").
R. Matteson 2013]
Some of Scarborough's notes: Gummmere says that this ballad is sung "as a little drama" in several parts of France. Puymaigre says, in his Chants populaires, 1865, pp. 215 ff.,
In rare cases it has a serious ending and we need not be alarmed at this threat:
"Je t'y menerai n'en Flandre
Et puris t'y ferai pendre"
which the woman parries with " Keep that terrible fate for the French robbers."
"Two young girls" play this ballad,one made up as an angry shepherd, the other as a timid shepherdess, singing it from house to house accompanied by the young folk of the village.
The Percy Society Publications, XVII, 272, list it as "Old Wicket and His Wife," and say of it:
This song still retains its popularity in the North of England, and when sung with humour, never fails to elicit a roar of laughter. A Scotch version may be found in Herd's Collection, 1769, and also in Cunningham's Songs of England and Scotland, 1835. The editor cannot give an opinion as to which is the original, but the English set is of unquestionable antiquity. Our copy was obtained from Yorkshire. It has been collated with one printed at the Aldermary Press, and preserved in the third volume of the Ronburghe Collections.
Orville O'Quinn, of Council, Buchanan County, Virginia, reported a version similar to that one, but not identical with it. Orville has been blind from birth and learned his songs altogether by oral tradition in the mountains.
(B) Three Nights of Experience
The first night when I came home,
Just drunk as I could be,
I saw a horse in the stable
Where my horse ought to be.
Come here, my little wifie,
Explain this thing to me.
What's that horse doing in the stable
Where my horse ought to be?
You blind fool, you crazy fool,
Can't you never see
Nothing but a milch cow
Your granny sent to me?
I've travelled this wide world over,
About a thousand miles or more,
But a saddle on a milch cow's back
f never did see before.
The second night when I came home,
Just drunk as I couid be,
I saw a coat on the rack
Where my coat ought to be.
Come here, my little wifie,
Explain this thing to me.
What's that coat doing on the rack
Where my coat ought to be?
You blind fooi, you crazy fool,
Can't you never see
Nothing but a bed-quilt
Your granny sent to me?
I've travelled this wide world over,
About a thousand miles or more,
But a pocket on a bed-quilt
I never did see before.
The third night when I came home
Just drunk as I could be,
I saw a head on a pillow
Where my head ought to be.
Come here, my little wifie,
Explain this thing to me.
What's that head doing on the pillow
Where my head ought to be?
You blind fool, you crazy fool,
Can't you never see
Nothing but a cabbage head
Your granny sent to me?
I've travelled this wide world over
About a thousand miles or more,
But a mustache on a cabbage head
I never did see before.