Parson Jones- Cochran (MS) 1936 Scarborough D
[Scarborough, who published a book of African-American folk songs (On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs) in 1925, was sent this text by an obviously African American informant, Louis Cochran, of Jackson, Mississippi. Hudson collected a nearly identical Mississippi version from a white informant with the same title about the same time (1936) and published it but left off the curse word from the 3rd stanza.]
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.
Louis Cochran, of Jackson, Mississippi, sent me a version from his section.
(D) Parson Jones
Parson Jones looked in his bed,
And what thar did he see?
Why, he seed another man's head
Whar his own head oughter be.
"My wife, my wife, my cock-eyed wife,
My darling wife!" said he.
"Why in the hell's this other man's head
Whar my head oughter be? "
"Yuh fool! Yuh fool! Yuh drunken fool!
Yuh god-damned fool!" said she.
"That thar is jest a cabbage head
My grandma sent tuh me."
"I've travelled east, I've travelled west,
A thousand miles or more,
But whiskers on a cabbage head
I never saw before."