Yet another version, from southern West Virginia and similar lyrically to the jb3 and Jean Ritchie texts above. This was recorded in 1929 by Roy Harvey and Earl Shirkey and released on Columbia 15429-D (as by "Roy Harper and Earl Shirkey"). Shirkey provides the vaudeville style yodeling between verses.

Keep Bachelor's Hall
(as sung by Roy Harvey)

How hard is the fortune of all womenkind
They're always controlled and they're always confined
Confined to their parents till they are made wives
Made slaves for their husbands the rest of their lives.

Washing and ironing their daily due
Darning and mending, I'll bring that in too
Four little children I have to maintain
Oh how I wish I was single again.

(yodel and guitar riff)

The first thing is Mama, I want a piece of bread
The next thing is Mama, I want to go to bed
She'll wash them and dress them and put them to bed
Saying, Oh, my Lord, how I wish I was dead

When young men go courting they dress up so fine
They'll make up and fix up and use a good line
They tiddle and tattle and make fun and lie
And keep the young girls up till they're just fit to die

(yodel)

The girls will jump up and thus they will say
Oh, boys, I'm so sleepy, I wish you'd go 'way
You're nothing but false heart and this I do scorn
Before you get home you will lodge in some barn.

All the next day you'll stagger and reel,
Saying, "God bless those sweet girls, how sleepy I feel."
If I were a young man, I'd court none at all
I'd live my days single, I'd keep bachelor's' hall.

(yodel and guitar riff)

Keep bachelor's hall for I think it's the best
Go home drunk or sober, lie down, take your rest
No wife there to scold you, no children to squawl,
I say to all young men, keep bachelor's hall.

(yodel and guitar riff)