I have at least five versions of 'The Red Haired Man's wife' in my collection, one I remember singing around the late 70's in a session and Frank Harte wrote out the last verse which I didn't sing. The next night at the same singing weekend Kevin Mitchel sang a slightly different version. All the content was there but arranged slightly different. I have since heard various renditions of this ballad with a line changed here and there but basically similar to the original.
I remember being asked to sing this ballad at my cousin's wedding (who happened to be marring a man with red hair) but was stopped before I even began, it appears this is what is known as a 'Curse Ballad' I asked Frank about this years later and he told me that he was once told this himself but couldn't shed any light on why it was. Maybe someone out there in 'muddyland' may have heard of this and can explain.
What I have picked up from a man whom I heard singing it (an Ulster singer, Jackie Boyce) was that, he was told that the person in the song was trying to coax the lady in question away from the husband (who had red hair) and to run away with him, BUT that he himself, was the red haired man!
I KNOW! Jackie was baffled as well! Apparently the 'red hair' has a BIG thing to do with it. Like meeting a red haired woman on the road (brings bad luck) so in this case the man is coaxing the wife away from 'HIMSELF'      hmmmmm! confusing or what?
Has anyone else heard of this or any other curse ballads?
    songster
hope I haven't confused you too much. heh heh heh (wicked laugh)