"I wish I were a single girl again"
When I was a single girl, I went dressed very fine,
Now I am married and have a drunken man to mind.
Oh, I wish I were a single girl again.
When I was a single girl I done as I pleased;
Now I am a married girl with a drunken man to please.
Oh, I wish I were a single girl again.
He goes down to town and stays all day
Drinking and gambling and wasting time away.
Oh, I wish I were a single girl again.
And when he comes home it's a curse and damn,
Wishing I were dead and he had another dram.
Oh, I wish I were a single girl again.
Spring to go to, and cows to milk and feed,
And the four little children a-crying after me.
Oh, I wish I were a single girl again.
Collected by Harvey H. Fuson
"Ballads of the Kentucky Highlands"
London, 1931, p 118
Orginally blogged at Appalachian History
appalachia appalachian+history appalachian+culture
1 comment:
Those lyrics remind me of the Carter Family's "Single Girl, Married Girl":
Single girl, single girl, she's going dressed so fine,
oh, she's going dressed so fine.
Married girl, married girl, she wears just any kind,
oh, she wears just any kind.
Single girl, single girl, she goes to the store and buys,
oh, she goes to the store and buys.
Married girl, married girl, she rocks the cradle and cries,
oh, she rocks the cradle and cries.
Single girl, single girl, she's going where she please,
oh, she's going where she please.
Married girl, married girl, a baby on her knees,
oh, a baby on her knees."
I've always liked that song for some odd reason. Maybe it's the mixture of the upbeat music with the desperate lyrics. The similarity of the two songs makes me wonder if ole A.P. didn't hear the tune and create a version of a traditional, undocumented song for his recording purposes, as he did for a majority of songs he gets credited with.
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