Lyr Add: The Old Woman and the Devil - my versio

Subject: Lyr Add: The Old Woman and the Devil - my versio
From: leeneia
Date: 07 Jul 20 - 06:49 PM

Yesterday I sang "The Old Woman and the Devil" at our singaround, and Joe Offer asked me to post the words I sang. I learned this song from a book of music collected by John Jacob Niles in the early twentieth century in Kentucky. I've made a few changes, but I don't really remember after all this time what they are.

When I sing it, I use different voices for the different characters. It seems to ask for that. Here goes:

There was an old farmer went out for plow.
   With a new, sing naggle sing nu
There was an old farmer went out for plow;
He hitched up a horse and mule and a cow.
   Nu, sing naggle, sing nu

[From now on I'm not going to type the "nu sing naggle part.]

The devil flew by with a clickety-clack. 2x
He had a big pitchfork hoist up on his back.

The old farmer jumped and he started to run 2x
"The devil is comin' fer my oldest son!"

"I ain't fer yer son nor yer daughter so fair. 2x
But yer old scoldin' wife what has lost all her hair."

He harvest her up on his poor, tired back. 2x
Just like an old pedlar a-totin' his pack.

They flew till they came to the dark gates of hell. 2x
Said "Stoke up the fire, boys, and roast this one well."

Seven small devils came rattlin' their chains. 2x
She snatched up a hammer and dazzled their brains.

The eighth little devil peeped over the wall. 2x
Said, "Take her back, Daddy, she'll murder us all!"

'Twas seven years goin', but six coming' back. 2x
She asked for some snuff she had hid in a crack.

Well, what she can do now the devil can't tell. 2x
She ain't fit for heaven; she's too mean for hell.
===========
For the first verse it helps to know that when a farmer sets up a team for plowing, he needs to have the animals be as similar as possible in size and strength. As soon as country people heard about the horse, the mule and the cow, they knew the farmer was none too bright.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Old Woman and the Devil - my versio
From: leeneia
Date: 07 Jul 20 - 07:24 PM

I've sent a file with the melody to Joe, and he will post it when his schedule permits.

The first time I picked this out at the piano, the last line simply blew me away. What a beautiful, haunting mountain sound wafting out of a comic song! The chords reflect this. Most of the song calls for G, C and D, but when you get to the last line (at the double bar) you play Bm, Am and G.