The Old Man under the Hill- (West) 1910 Lomax
[Despite the written endorsement of Theodore Roosevelt, Lomax's Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads (1910), with 112 song texts and 18 tunes, was rejected by two publishers before its appearance in 1910 under the imprint of Sturgis and Waltor.
No date is given and the location and contributor aren't given.
From: Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads By John Avery Lomax, Alan Lomax- 1922 edition]
THE OLD MAN UNDER THE HILL
THERE was an old man who lived under the hill,
Chir-u-ra-wee, lived under the hill,
And if he ain't dead he's living there still,
Chir-u-ra-wee, living there still.
One day the old man went out to plow,
Chir-u-ra-wee, went out to plow;
'Tis good-bye the old fellow, and how are you now,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, and how are you now.
And then another came to his house,
Chir-u-ra-wee, came to his house;
"There's one of your family I've got to have now,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, got to have now.
"It's neither you nor your oldest son,
Chir-u-ra-wee, nor your oldest son."
"Then take my old woman and take her for fun,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, take her for fun."
He takened her all upon his back,
Chir-u-ra-wee, upon his back,
And like an old rascal went rickity rack,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, went rickity rack.
But when he got half way up the road,
Chir-u-ra-wee, up the road,
Says he, "You old lady, you're sure a load,"
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, you're sure a load.
He set her down on a stump to rest,
Chir-u-ra-wee, stump to rest;
She up with a stick and hit him her best,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, hit him her best.
He taken her on to hell's old gate,
Chir-u-ra-wee, hell's old gate,
But when he got there he got there too late,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, got there too late.
And so he had to keep his wife,
Chir-u-ra-wee, had to keep his wife,
And keep her he did for the rest of his life,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, for the rest of his life.