Old Badman- Winnie Hamrick (WV) 1975 Gainer
[From "Folk Songs of the West Virginia Hills" by Patrick Gainer (1975). Gainer has a history of creating informants (after checking the informants do not exist; and sometimes a different informant was credited in three different publications for the same exact ballad text) and recreating ballads. Because very few versions (Cox had none) were found in West Virginia, this is likely a ballad recreation.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
OLD BADMAN- Gainer says it was sung by Winnie Hamrick of Braxton County.
Old badman did a courting ride,
A hie a diddle doe,
With a sword and pistol by his side.
Kitty kutty coe.
Old badman did a courting ride,
He saw a fine lady in a tree hide,
There was a wild boar in the wood,
That will cut your throat and drink your blood.
Old Badman drew his sword so sharp,
To cut out this wild boar's heart.
They fought, they fought six hours that day,
Till that wild boar did steal away.
Old Badman rode to the wild boar's den,
He saw the bones of a hundred men.