The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #129897   Message #4063515
Posted By: Bill D
09-Jul-20 - 12:21 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Poor Old Woman/Housewife's Lament
Subject: RE: Origins: Poor Old Woman/Housewife's Lament
refresh to compliment the latest thread on Housewife's Lament..

I learned the song in the early 60s in Wichita, and I met Joan O'Bryant, who taught an my school at one time... so perhaps I got the song from some who learned it from Joan.

It remains less than clear which version was copied from where and by whom. If I were to bet a dollar, I'd put it on the Sara A. Price story... but I wouldn't put $100 on it. The Eliza Sproat Turner published version certainly has some claim, as it is a known date, but who's to say she **actually** wrote it?

All I can say is, I've gotten good mileage from it for 50 years... and I get to us 5 chords on the autoharp...