Dan Doo- Pace (KY) 1917 Sharp E
[My title, Sharp used the generic, The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin. ]
From: English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians
Two Editions: Olive Dame Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp, 1917; Sharp and Karpeles 1932 Edition
Sharp's 1917 notes: No. 33. (1917) No. 39 (1932) The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin.
Texts without tunes:—Child, No. 277. Gavin Greig's Folk-Song of the North-East, I., art. 13; and II., art. 122. Ford's Song Histories, pp. 271-274. Texts with tunes:—Journal of the Folk-Song Society, ii., 223; v., 260. Folk Songs from Somerset, No. 97. Ford's Vagabond Songs of Scotland, p. 192. American variants:—Journal of American Folk-Lore, vii., 253; xix., 298.
E. [Dan Doo] The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin. Sung by Mrs. ELIZA PACE at Hyden, Leslie Co., Ky., Oct. 1, 1917
Pentatonic. Mode 3.
1. The old man he came in from plough,
Dan doo,
The old man he came in from plough,
And a hump ty did die dy doo.
He says: Old wo-man, have you got dinner now?
To my ha lem, ga lem, wil ter ha lem ban go.
2 A piece of cold bread upon the shelf;
If you want anything else you can get it yourself.
3 He went out to his sheep-fold;
He got him a wether both tough and old.
4 He took it out to his wife's back;
He took a little stick and he made it crack.
5 She says: I'll tell my father and all my kin
That you whipped me with your old wether's skin.
6 If you do I'll tell you lied,
I was a-dressing my old wether-hide.