Old Wine (songs) in New Bottles

Subject: Old Wine (songs) in New Bottles
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 May 05 - 02:10 PM

There have been threads on Mudcat, asking about how to get ideas for new songs. I've been of the opinion for a long time that a good way to go is to take an old theme, an old story, and recast it into a new song. Thus the "Old Wine in New Bottles". This happens in folk song all the time, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by slight disrememberings or slight "improvements" which end up as a new song.

Yesterday I had a flash of an idea of a new setting for the old, old story of The Farmer's Curst Wife, complete with tune. Unfortunately I can't post the tune here, but here is The Devil Takes the Farmer's Wife.

The Devil Takes the Farmer's Wife

There was an old farmer, was plowing one day
Husbands, take my warning!
There was an old farmer, was plowing one day
And here come the Devil, and to him did say
There's one of your fam'ly I'll carry away
In my pack down to Hell in the morning

The farmer says, you'll not be taking my son
Husbands, take my warning!
The farmer says, you'll not be taking my son
To inherit my farm, he's my only one
And to help milk the cows when the day's work is done,
And to plow up my field in the morning.

I'll not take your son, you love him so well
Husbands, take my warning!
I'll not take your son, you love him so well
It's your scolding old woman I'm taking to Hell
It's your scolding old woman that I'll take to Hell
In my pack on my back in the morning.

In his pack the old Devil packed her in a lump
Husbands, take my warning!
In his pack the old Devil packed her in a lump
And down to Hell, with her he did jump
By the high gates of Hell, from his pack he did dump
That scolding old wife in the morning.

I've brought you to Hell, the Devil, he said
Husbands, take my warning!
I've brought you to Hell, the Devil, he said
She swung out her fist and broke open his head
She broke off a horn, and laid open his head
By the high gates of Hell, in the morning

There stood a small divil, with whip and with chains
Husbands, take my warning!
There stood a small divil, with whip and with chains
She upped with her foot and kicked out all his brains
That scolding old woman kicked out all his brains
As he stood by Hell's gate in the morning.

Oh, now, said the Devil, we'll hoist her up higher
Husbands, take my warning!
Oh, now, said the Devil, we'll hoist her up higher
She upped with her foot and kicked nine in the fire
She kicked nine little divils right into the fire
By the high gates of Hell, in the morning.

Oh, six little divils jumped over the wall
Husbands, take my warning!
Six little divils jumped over the wall
Sayin' take her back, daddy, she'll murder us all!
Get rid of her, daddy, she'll murder us all
If she stays here in Hell, in the morning.

So back in his pack, he packed her in a lump
Husbands, take my warning!
Back in his pack, he packed her in a lump
And back on the earth, with her he did jump
He lit with both feet on the earth with a bump
In the farmer's field, in the morning.

See here, me good man, I have brought back yer wife
Husbands, take my warning!
See here, me good man, I have brought back yer wife
I thought I knew about stress, and knew about strife
But she's the bane and torment of me life
And I've brought her back in the morning.

Now, I've been a tormenter most all of me life
Husbands, take my warning!
I've been a tormenter most all of me life
But I was never tormented till I met your wife
I was never tormented till I took your wife
In my pack down to Hell in the morning!

WELLLLL, THEYYY....say that the women is worse than the men
Husbands, take my warning!
They say that the women is worse than the men
They went down to Hell and got chucked out again
When he got her to Hell, she was chucked out again
From the gates of Hell, in the morning!

I probably will refine it a little, but it's in pretty nearly final form. Any comments will be welcome.

I publish it here to encourage others to do likewise with other standard, well-known folk themes. It's a rich resource.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Old Wine (songs) in New Bottles
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 May 05 - 03:51 PM

Well, no sooner did I post that than I've got a revision that needs to be made.

In the third-last verse, the line,

I thought I knew about stress, and knew about strife

is awkward, almost unsingable from a rhythm standpoint. Therefore, it's now like this:

Thought I knew about stress, thought I knew about strife

Also, to make it easier to see the rhythm, in the second verse, the first and third lines,

The farmer says, you'll not be taking my son,

I am removing the comma. It's grammatical, I think, but it causes a pause that trips up a singer. So those lines become

The farmer says you'll not be taking my son.

With those changes, I'm going to declare it done. Not that it may not change down the way as I sing it, but that's a problem for another day.

I claim copyright in this song, but anyone may sing it without fee; just credit me as the author. Of course if it's used commercially (dream on, Dave!) I would expect some sort of payment.

If anyone wants the tune, I'll manage to get it to you if you ask.

Dave Oesterreich