Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity

Subject: Lyr Add: EVIL ANGEL (Jesse Winchester)
From: GUEST,winniemih
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:45 PM

The song Evil Angel by Jesse Winchester brings up this subject.

Well, that first cheating love made you ashamed
Now, didn't it
That first cheating love made you ashamed
Now didn't it
But you, you had to go and find another
Now, didn't you
But that first cheating love
Oh do you remember,
That first cheating love made you ashamed.

Evil angel, on my shoulder
well, you sure do know your stuff
First you start 'em with a little
'Till they just can't get enough

This is from the Gentleman of Leisure cd

---

HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone 09-Jan-2001.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: jofield
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 10:04 AM

Moe Bandy:

Well I drove through the park,
Lord, I looked in all the bars,
Where I made out with love too many times.
It was always so easy
To find an unhappy woman
'Till I started looking for mine.

Webb Pierce, "Back Street Afair". (Or was that Hank Locklin?)

Hank Snow, "90 miles an hour down a dead-end street".

Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" is a cute commentary on regret.

James in Bristol, RI

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Hyperabid
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 10:12 AM

What about the one that goes "I wish Bobbitt hadn't lobbed it in the mincer the other night"...

*Grinning*

More seriously So Lonely - The Police starts with the lines:-

"Somebody told me yesterday
That when you throw your love away
You act as if you just don't care
You look as if you're going nowhere
But I just can't convince myself
I just can't live with no-one else
So I just have to play my part
And sit and nurse my broken heart

So lonely etc..."

Sounds like a pretty regretful bloke to me...

Hyp

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 01:36 PM

Thought of one -- The Mavericks: "I Should Have Been True". Great song. "I shouldn't wonder why you've gone, I should have known that it was wrong, I should have been true"
yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 06:40 PM

What about the song "Cruel Willie"? I mean the man lost his life over a fair maiden at the hands of her sister - Is that not regret or what????

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: TheOldMole
Date: 30 Apr 00 - 02:25 PM

How about Ferlin Husky?

I was wrong Broke your heart Now you're gone

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GUEST,Syd
Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:55 PM

There is also Bob Dylan's. 'I Threw it All Away' from the album 'Nashville Skyline'.

Syd

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GUEST,Syd, Ottawa
Date: 19 May 00 - 01:18 AM

And Robert Johnson's "When You Got a Good Friend". Johnson doesn't specifically mention infidelity. He talks about mistreating his baby. But that may fit your bill. Syd

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 19 May 00 - 09:52 AM

There's a great old C&W song called "Almost Persuaded" where the guy catches himself just in time. I believe Don Gibson wrote it.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 19 May 00 - 10:17 AM

"Gonna catch you with your britches down" is a ?Ida Cox?Ma Rainey?Victoria Spivey?Sippie Wallace [you know what my memory's like!] song warning what will happen if the man is unfaithful. He'd certainly regret it!
RtS

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From:
Date: 19 May 00 - 02:55 PM

What about Connie Francis'(trying my first blue clicky thing) I'm Sorry It's a more general regret, but it would apply. mimosa

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From:
Date: 19 May 00 - 03:03 PM

Rats. http://www.summer.com.br/~pfilho/html/lyrics/i/im_sorry_i_made_you_cry.txt

I'M SORRY I MADE YOU CRY Connie Francis

I'm sorry dear, so sorry dear I'm sorry I made you cry Won't you forget, won't you forgive Don't let us say goodbye One little word, one little smile One little kiss won't you try It breaks my heart to hear you sigh I'm sorry I made you cry

One little word, one little smile One little kiss won't you try It breaks my heart to hear you sigh I'm sorry I made you cry

TRANSCRIBED BY LOU ANN

From the website referenced. I guess I need to go to the HTML practice thread for this.

Mimosa

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: SINSULL
Date: 19 May 00 - 04:52 PM

Thank you Mole,
I have been trying to remember that Ferlin Husky song for weeks. Losing sleep at night with "Now you've go onnnn" ringing in my ears. It was used on Martian Melody in the 50s. God am I old.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 19 May 00 - 05:30 PM

Innaresting. Has anyone noticed that Trad. songs (might I say REAL folksongs) do not tend to be morbidly introspective? Or particularly sentimental. The classic regret for infidelity, I guess, is The House Carpenter (Daemon Lover), but the regret is implicit and not dewlled upon.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: TheOldMole
Date: 04 Jun 00 - 11:47 PM

Just thought of another one... "Little Darlin'," by the Gladiolas:

I love-a I was wrong-a to try to love two a hoo hah hoo hah hoo hah hoo hah hoo hah

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: SINSULL
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 09:56 PM

DAMNIT Mole. It wasn't the the Gladiolas and now I'll be up all night thinking of the name of the group.

Nevermind - it was the Diamonds.

O OHNLYYYY ou oo oo.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: keltcgrasshoppper
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 11:15 PM

What about "the Tennesee Waltz"...KGH

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: TheOldMole
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 11:48 AM

Sinsull -- the Diamonds covered the Gladiolas' original version. The Gladiolas were led by Maurice Williams, who later became famous for "Stay (Just a Little Bit Longer)."

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: TheOldMole
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 11:50 AM

KGH - but the original idea of this thread was songs that regret one's own infidelity (a far-fetched concept, to be sure) -- in Tennessee Waltz, she regrets her partner's (and her friend's) infidelity.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:07 PM

Mole - I didn't know that. Thank you.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Mister Dressup
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 05:03 PM

I don't know if this song is about infidelity specifically but it is a very well-known song. Fleetwood Mac's "Never Goin' Back Again" may be a good song.

"Been down one time been down two time OOOO Never goin back again"

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GeorgeH
Date: 07 Jun 00 - 06:27 AM

Franke's "Hard Love" comes to mind, although not DIRECTLY "as asked for".

However, to meet the original requirement, there's the song June Tabor sings as "Lisbon" (NOT the song under that title in the database); from memory it starts:

The Earl of Arboyne to Lisbon is gone
And taken his nobles with him
Better he should have stayed at home
Or taken his lady with him

(I guess I may have that fourth line wrong); it's a really powerful song of foolish love and foolish pride. Perhaps I'll have to transcribe it.

G.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GUEST,fergus
Date: 07 Jun 00 - 04:49 PM

The best of all is an old irish song called "as I roved out" christy moore its in the mudcat song book, as i roved out on a bright may morning to view the meadows and the flowers gay check it out slán fergus

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Jun 00 - 08:44 PM

You're right, there aren't many:

24 Hours from Tulsa.

From Clare to Here (well, it's a different kind of desertion maybe)

Down in the Sally Gardens (But that's more regrets rather than remorse.)

But that's all I can think of, and only one of them fits the bill, and that's by a long way the least of the songs.

I once wrote a song with the rather lengthy chorus:

So he lied through his teeth
and that's the living proof
that he loved her too much
to always tell the truth.
He loved her too much to never tell a lie
and that's the reason why at times
he used to look her in the eye:
"I'll swear once again, the way I always do,
I'd never tell a lie to you.
Would I ever tell a lie to you,
have I ever told a lie to you?"

But that's more an excuse song, as is "You always hurt the one you love."

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Margaret V
Date: 07 Jun 00 - 11:20 PM

"We'll Sweep Out the Ashes" done by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris (written by someone else, I think) is a good one, more perhaps about guilt than actual regret (same goes for "Dark End of the Street"). And Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance" is such a good song; more about making a commitment NOT to stray again by recognizing that one would still be tempted to do so and, therefore, avoiding the source of temptation. Margaret

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GeorgeH
Date: 09 Jun 00 - 06:57 AM

OK, ignore my earlier comment . . I'm getting Lisbon and The Earl of Aboyne confused (they are adjacent tracks on June Tabor's Ashes and Diamonds CD). And having transcribed the words for the this thread I then discover it's Child 235, so it's here anyway . .

Certainly fits the bill - have a look!

G.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GeorgeH
Date: 09 Jun 00 - 07:10 AM

Unfortunately Mudcat doesn't have this indexed as Child, so you need to search on "Aboyne".

Also there are a number of mistakes in the transcription (it's also taken from June's singing) - not generally significant, but I may get round to posting the corrected version).

It's a slightly anglicised version of one of the Child texts, but includes some material not in any of the Child versions I checked (but I only looked at the main entry and not for any subsequent addenda).

The recording is "Ashes and Diamonds" which is still available. And this track includes wonderful guitar from Nic Jones ..

Enjoy . .

G.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 May 04 - 03:19 PM

I think this qualifies:

THE HARD WAY by Pat Donohue.

There's only one line that suggests it's about infidelity, though: "How it hurts to be untrue."

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Joe_F
Date: 28 May 04 - 06:56 PM

"The Ladies" by Rudyard Kipling:

I've taken my fun where I've found it,
An' now I must pay for my fun,
For the more you 'ave known of the others
The less you will settle to one;
An' the end of it's sittin' and thinkin',
An' dreamin' Hell-fires to see;
So be warned by my lot (which I know you will not),
An' learn about women from me!

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: emjay
Date: 28 May 04 - 07:09 PM

There's a very old country song called "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle." (Woman as a possession, ugh.) It ends with the line "I robbed another man's castle, now someone just stole her from me." I haven't tried to find the lyrics, but I've found just about every other song I've tried to find on the internet.

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 28 May 04 - 07:23 PM

Billy Fury...Lost without you!

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 May 04 - 01:57 PM

"Spanish is the Loving Tongue"
and the modern "Your Time's Comin'"

And there's always Shel Silverstein's "Three Legged Man"

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 03:00 PM

bittersweet fantasia, the reason hoobastank, boulevard of broken dreams greenday,

Subject: Lyr Add: HIGHWAY OF SORROW (Bill Monroe)
From: Mark Clark
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 05:12 PM

Highway of Sorrow
Bill Monroe

I once had a darlin' wife, kind true and sweet,
Life was so bright and gay, everything complete,
But I fell for another who led my life astray,
Now I'll live in sorrow 'til my dyin' day.

    Refrain:
    Down the highway of sorrow I'm travelin' alone,
    I've lost all my true friends, I've lost a happy home,
    I'm headed for destruction, I'm on the wrong track,
    Down the highway of sorrow there's no turning back.

I went back to my darlin' and fell down on my knees,
I begged her with tear dimmed eyes to give my poor heart ease,
But she was hurt so deeply she could not forgive,
Now I'll live in sorrow as long as I live.

    (Refrain)

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Wanted: Songs that regret infidelity
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 06:25 PM

Clerk Colven?

Cheat with a mermaid, get a social disease that makes your head explode within hours, and you really regret it.