good question!

also: is it 'loathe me every one' - as I'd always thought, or 'love' as I've heard sung? Loathe makes more sense to me because I'd always thought it might be an abusive hsuband/father deciding to leave his family, possibly for another woman (having a woman sing it adds another layer), but I may be way way way off the mark. If it's about a real person that might explain much.