Lyr Req: Married Life Blues (Roscoe Holcomb)

Subject: Lyr Req: Married Life Blues (Roscoe Holcomb)
From:
Date: 27 May 03 - 02:31 AM

Help!!! I'm stumped and since you guys were the saving grace on my last dead end I was hoping to impose on your brilliant help once more.
Roscoe Holcomb does a song "Married Life Blues" on The High Lonesome Sound CD. Does anyone know the lyrics and/or the origin of his version??? As always thanks in advance for any info.
Nina

Subject: Lyr Add: MARRIED LIFE BLUES (Roscoe Holcomb)
From: Stewie
Date: 27 May 03 - 03:24 AM

Here's the transcription from the original LP. I reckon the last word in the first line should be 'fine' rather than 'proud'. The song was included on the LP to demonstrate Roscoe's banjo playing way up the neck that 'reveals the same sense of blues notes and timing which is heard in his mouth harp performances'. No source is given except reference to an 'old commercial phonograph recording'. The Holcomb CD note says it was a 30s recording. There were 2 commercial recordings in the 1930s of a song of this title. I give the lyrics of the one by Bill Cox below - the other was by Lester Pete Blivins. Wade Ward recorded it for Okeh in in 1925, but this was not issued; Oscar Ford recorded it in 1929 for Columbia.

Roscoe's version:

MARRIED LIFE BLUES

When I'm single I dress mighty proud
Hand me down my walking shoes
I'm going back to old aunt Dinah
'Cause I got the married life blues

I'm coming back to old Virginny
Hand me down my walking shoes
I'm going back to old aunt Dinah
'Cause I got the married life blues

She looked down the road and seen me a-comin'
Hand me down my walking shoes
And I thought to my soul she'd kill herself a-running
'Cause I got the married life blues

Source: transcription in booklet insert for Roscoe Holcomb 'The High Lonesome Sound' Folkways LP FA 2368.


Bill Cox's 1935 version:

MARRIED LIFE BLUES

When I was single, I dressed so fine
Hand me down my walkin' shoes
But now I'm married and I'm ragged all the time
And I've got the married life blues

Chorus:
Oh carry me back to Carolina
Hand me down my walkin' shoes
I'm a-goin' back to old aunt Dinah
'Cos I've got the married life blues

I took in some washing and I made myself some money
Hand me down my walkin' shoes
My husband slipped and stole it and went to see his honey
Now I've got the married life blues

Chorus

I looked down the road and I saw a train coming
Hand me down my walking shoes
I jumped on board and the train kept a-runnin'
'Cos I've got the married life blues

Source:   Bill Cox 'Married Life Blues' recorded 3 Sept 1935 and issued as ARC 5-12-56.   Reissued on Bill Cox 'Rough and Rowdy Hillbilly of the 1930s' Collector Records CLCD 2866.

--Stewie.

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Roscoe Holcomb recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksA7N50SxFA (may not play in UK)

Ralph Stanley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is8zmUQEwGM