The Old Man- (New England) pre1939 Linscott w/music (Bronson 14b- he does not give music or text)
[From: Folk Songs of Old New England- Linscott, 1939. No local title (she gives "our Goodman"), informant, place or date are supplied by Linscott who says, "a certain young man of North Irish extraction sang this his little sister."
R. Matteson 2013]
The Old Man- unidentified woman of North Irish extraction (New England) pre1939 Linscott
1. Oh, the old man he came home one night,
As drunk as he could be,
He saw a hat upon the rack
Where his hat ought to be
"Oh, my good wife, my dear wife, my wife so good to me
Whose hat is that upon the rack,
Where my hat ought to be?"
"Oh, you old fool, you darn fool,
You doddering fool," says she,
"It's nothing but a piece of crape
My uncle sent to me."
Chorus: "I've traveled the whole world over,
Ten thousand times or more,
But crape upon a hat rack,
I never saw before!"
2. Oh, the old man he came home one night,
As drunk as he could be,
He saw a horse within the stall,
His horse ought to be.
"Oh, my good wife, my dear wife, my wife so good to me,
Whose horse is that within the stall,
Where my horse ought to be?"
"Oh, you old fool, you darn fool,
You doddering fool," says she,
"It's nothing but a brindled cow,
My uncle sent to me."
Chorus: "I've traveled the whole world over,
Ten thousand times or more,
But a brindled cow in a horse stall,
I never saw before!"
3. Oh, the old man he came home one night,
As drunk as he could be,
He saw a face between the sheets,
Where no face ought to be.
"Oh, my good wife, my dear wife, my wife so good to me
Whose face is that between the sheets,
Where my face ought to be?"
"Oh, you old fool, you darn fool,
You doddering fool," says she,
"It's nothing but a little kid
My uncle sent to me."
Chorus: "I've traveled the whole world over,
Ten thousand times or more,
But a little kid between the sheets, [1]
I never saw before! "
1. usually: a little kid with a moustache.