Farmer's Curst Wife- Sweeney (NS) 1950 Creighton C
[From: Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia by Creighton and Senior, 1950. The title is not local and should be, "There was an Old Farmer." No date is given, published in 1950.]
Creighton notes: The Farmer's Curst Wife
[Child 278 ]
This rollicking song is one of the most singable in my collection. The legend of a curst wife, who was a terror to demons, is widely spread in Europe and the Orient as well as in Great Britain. Child writes: "See Benfey, Panchatantra, I, 519-34; and Ralston, Russian Folk- Tales, p. 39." Variants have been found with and without the effective whistling chorus. Burns is said to have founded his Carle of Killyburn Braes on this ballad.
See Journal, vol. 2, p.184; vol. 3, pp. 131, 132, etc. American texts: Hudson, pp. 124, 125; Linscott, pp. 188-191; Belden, pp. 89-91; Brewster, p. 155; Mackenzie, p. 64; Gerould, p. 48; S.B.N. S. pp. 18, 19; T.F. N. S., with piano accompaniment; Sharp, I, pp. 275-281; Barry, pp. 325-333; Gardner and Chickering, pp. 373-378; Davis, pp. 505-515; Cox, pp. 164, 165.
Library of Congress recordings: Ben Henneberry, Richard Hartlan and Edmund Henneberry; National Museum recording: Ralph Huskins.
According to Mr. Ben Henneberry, the last stanza is variable. It may be:
"This proves that women are better than men,
They can go through hell and come back again."
Or, "They can go to the devil and come back again. "
Farmer's Curst Wife [C] Sung by Mr. Frank Sweeney, Yarmouth.
1. There was an old man lived under the hill,
(Whistle seeond line)
There was an old man lived under the hill
And if he's not dead he lives there still.
Chorus: Right fall de lor, de laddie de la.
2. The devil came to him one day at his plough,
Saying, "One of your family I must have now." Cho.
3. "It's not your oldest daughter that I want
But your old scolding wife, and her I must have." Cho.
4. "Take her with you, take her with you old devil," he said,
"And after her no more will I crave." Cho.
5. The old devil he put her on his back
And like a bold pedlar he carried his pack. Cho.
6. Now when he came unto hell's gate
She lifted her fist and she knocked out his brains. Cho.
7. She was seven years going and four coming back
And she called for the pudding she'd left in the pot. Cho.