The Farmer's Curst Wife
Lyrics
There was an old man who bought him a farm
Saying low-land tick-le O lay.
There was an old man who bought him a farm
And he had no team to carry it on
Saying low-land tick-le O laddie,
Low-land tick-le O lay.
So he yoked up his dog beside his sow
He yoked up his dog beside his sow
And he went walloping 'round, the Devil knows how
But he met the old Devil on one certain day.
He met the old Devil on one certain day
Saying: “One of your family I'll carry away."
“O," out cries the old man, “I am undone!"
Out cries the old man, “I am undone!
The Devil has come for my oldest son!"
“No, it's not your son," the Devil did say,
“ 'Tis not your son," the Devil did say,
“But your scolding old wife I'll carry away."
“O take her, O take her with all my heart!
Take her, O take her with all my heart
And I hope and pray you will never part!"
So the old Devil swung her across his back
The old Devil swung her across his back
And up to Hell's door he went clickerty-clack.
There was one little Devil preparing the chains,
There was one little Devil preparing the chains,
While she up with her foot and she kicked out his brains.
Then another little Devil said, “Hitch her up higher!"
Another little Devil said, “Hitch her up higher!"
For she up with for and kicked nine in the fire.
Then another little Devil peeked over the wall,
Another little Devil peeked over the wall;
“Carry her back, master Devil, she will kill us all!"
So the old Devil he swung her across his back,
The old Devil he swung her across his back
And like a darn fool he went tugging her back.
And the old Devil he throwed her down on the floor,
The old Devil he throwed her down on the floor
Saying “Got to stay here, go to Hell no more!"
Then out cried the old man, "You were born for a curse!"
Out cried the old man, "You were born for a curse
You've been to Hell now you're a whole lot worse!"
Sung by Mr. Asa Davis of Milton, Vermont, as learned from his father, 1945. Excerpted from “Ballads Migrant in New England" by Helen Hartness Flanders and Marguerite Olney (Farrar, Straus and Young, 1953).
Saying low-land tick-le O lay.
There was an old man who bought him a farm
And he had no team to carry it on
Saying low-land tick-le O laddie,
Low-land tick-le O lay.
So he yoked up his dog beside his sow
He yoked up his dog beside his sow
And he went walloping 'round, the Devil knows how
But he met the old Devil on one certain day.
He met the old Devil on one certain day
Saying: “One of your family I'll carry away."
“O," out cries the old man, “I am undone!"
Out cries the old man, “I am undone!
The Devil has come for my oldest son!"
“No, it's not your son," the Devil did say,
“ 'Tis not your son," the Devil did say,
“But your scolding old wife I'll carry away."
“O take her, O take her with all my heart!
Take her, O take her with all my heart
And I hope and pray you will never part!"
So the old Devil swung her across his back
The old Devil swung her across his back
And up to Hell's door he went clickerty-clack.
There was one little Devil preparing the chains,
There was one little Devil preparing the chains,
While she up with her foot and she kicked out his brains.
Then another little Devil said, “Hitch her up higher!"
Another little Devil said, “Hitch her up higher!"
For she up with for and kicked nine in the fire.
Then another little Devil peeked over the wall,
Another little Devil peeked over the wall;
“Carry her back, master Devil, she will kill us all!"
So the old Devil he swung her across his back,
The old Devil he swung her across his back
And like a darn fool he went tugging her back.
And the old Devil he throwed her down on the floor,
The old Devil he throwed her down on the floor
Saying “Got to stay here, go to Hell no more!"
Then out cried the old man, "You were born for a curse!"
Out cried the old man, "You were born for a curse
You've been to Hell now you're a whole lot worse!"
Sung by Mr. Asa Davis of Milton, Vermont, as learned from his father, 1945. Excerpted from “Ballads Migrant in New England" by Helen Hartness Flanders and Marguerite Olney (Farrar, Straus and Young, 1953).