Refresh for "Guest" and apparently we HAD discussed this one before, I just couldn't find it:
Charlie Baum sea lion woman (aka see lye woman) RE: sea lion woman (aka see lye woman) 20-Jun-99
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"Sea Lion Woman", sung by Christine and Katherine Shipp, was recorded for the Library of Congress by Herbert Halpert in Byhalia, Mississippi in May of 1939. It is available on the CD "A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings" selected and annotated by Stephen Wade, Rounder CD 1500. The liner notes mention that the actual title of this playground song might be See [the] Lyin' Woman, C-Line Woman, or Sea Lion Woman. The words as near as I can figure them out:
Sea Lion Woman / Sea Lion
She drank coffee / Sea Lion
She drank tea / Sea Lion
And he gamble lie / Sea Lion
Way down yonder / Sea Lion
I'm going maul / Sea Lion
And the rooster crow / Sea Lion
and he got no lie / Sea Lion
Sea lion woman / Sea Lion
she drank coffee / Sea Lion
She drank tea / Sea Lion
And she gamble lie / Sea Lion
Sea lion woman / Sea Lion
she drank coffee / Sea Lion
She drank tea / Sea Lion
And a gamble lie / Sea Lion
^^ I'm sure this is inaccurate, and perhaps someone with a copy of the song and a better ear for dialect will correct this. (Or perhaps the original Library of Congress vinyl LP contains lyrics transcriptions.)
--Charlie Baum