Lyr Add: The Devil and the Ploughman

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DEVIL AND THE PLOUGHMAN^^
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 21 Jan 00 - 07:44 PM

G'day,
From the Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs, Ed Pellow's rendition of the tune of The Devil And The Ploughman (Child #278) can be found here.

THE DEVIL AND THE PLOUGHMAN

Sung by H. Burstow, Horsham, Sussex (R.V.W. I903)

There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell, (whistle)
And he'd a bad wife as many knew well,
To my fal-de-ral little law-day.

The Devil he came to the old man at plough, (whistle)
Saying. 'One of your family I must have now.

'Now it isn't for you nor yet for your son, (whistle)
But that scolding old wife as you've got at home.'

'Oh take her, oh take her with all of my heart, (whistle)
And I wish she and you may never more part.'

So the devil he took the old wife on his back, (whistle)
And lugged her along like a pedlar's pack.

He trudged along till he reached his front gate, (whistle)
Says: 'Here, take in an old Sussex chap's mate.'

There was thirteen imps all dancing in chains; (whistle)
She up with her pattens and beat out their brains.

Two more little devils jumped over the wall, (whistle)
Saying: 'Turn her out, father, she'll murder us all.'

So he bundled her up on his back amain, (whistle)
And to her old husband he took her again.

'I've been a tormentor the whole of my life, (whistle)
But I was never tormented till I met your wife.'

And now to conclude and make an end, (whistle)
You see that the women is worse than the men,
If they got sent to Hell, they get kicked back again,
To my fal-de-ral little law-day.

Other versions can be found in the DT by searching for #278

Previous song: The Deserter From Kent.
Next Song: Droylsden Wakes.

Cheers,
Alan ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: The Devil And The Plough
From: BDenz
Date: 21 Jan 00 - 09:02 PM

Thanks, Alan. Just what I needed.

barbara

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DEVIL AND THE PLOUGHMAN
From: GUEST,James
Date: 21 Jan 00 - 09:35 PM

Don't know if this is in the DT version but I often sing it

"The Devil he hoisted her up on his back
    Oh Daddy be gay
The devil he hoisted her up on his back
And off to Hell with her he did pack
    Daddy be gay if you can be

He carried her down to the Gates of Hell
    Oh Daddy be gay
He carried her down to the Gates of Hell
saying Rake up the coals & we'll roast her well
    Daddy be gay if you can be

The last verse goes:
The old woman went whistling over the hill
    Oh Daddy be gay
The old woman went whistling over the hill
If the Devil won't have me I wonder who will
    Daddy be gay if you can be

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: The Devil And The Plough
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 09:28 PM

From the notes to the Penguin Book (1959):

"The Devil comes to fetch a farmer's wife.  The farmer is delighted.  But the shrewish woman behaves so abominably in Hell that the Devil is obliged to bring her back again.  The song, apparantly common all over the British Isles and frequently recorded in America, seems to embody a very old joke indeed.  Perhaps in early forms, the farmer had enlisted the Devil's aid in his ploughing, promising the soul of one of his family in return.  Most versions of this song have a whistled refrain, and this is not without sly meaning, for there is an old belief that whistling summons the Devil (hence the sailor's superstition that whistling aboard ship may bring on a storm).  Burns re-made a Scottish version of the ballad, and called it  The Carle o' Kellyburn Braes.  Mrs. Burns, speaking to a scholar of the way in which her husband altered folk songs, remarked: "Robert gae this ane a terrible brushing".  Our text is filled out with some verses obtained by Alfred Williams from David Sawyer, of Ogbourne, Wiltshire.  (Folk Songs of the Upper Thames, 1923).  A Dorset version is given in FSJ vol.III, p.131-2."  -R.V.W./A.L.L.

This version was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams from H. Burstow of Horsham, Sussex, in 1903, and was first published in The Folk Song Journal, vol.II, p.184.

Child 278
@devil @marriage

Versions on the DT:

The Women Are Worse Than The Men  From Irish Street Ballads, ed. Colm O' Lochlainn, 1952.  No tune given.
The Devil And The Farmer's Wife  Transcribed from a record?  No tune.
Tee Roo  US version, with tune.
Kellyburnbraes  Robert Burns' version, with tune.
Devil And The Farmer's Wife  US version, with tune.

In the Forum:

Killieburn Brae   From a Dubliners songbook.
Auld Carle   (No source specified.)
The women are worse than the men  Mostly discussion, includes another version of Kellyburn Braes.

There are versions at Lesley Nelson's  Child Ballads  site:

The Farmer's Curst Wife  (The Devil and the Farmer)
Child version A
Child version B
Kellyburnbraes

Bruce Olson has the text of the earliest known broadside version at his website:

A Pleasant new Ballad you here may behold, How the Devill, though subtle, was gull'd by a Scold.  "Printed at London for Henry Gosson, dwelling upon London-Bridge neare to the Gate". Stationers' Register, June 24, 1630.

There is an entry at the  The Traditional Ballad Index:

The Farmer's Curst Wife

Other titles:

The Old Man under the Hill
The Devil and the Farmer's Wife
Give eare, my loving countrey-men
Old Lady and the Devil
The Farmer's Curst Wife
Little Devils
Randy Riley
The Old Woman and the Devil
The Farmer and the Devil
The Carle o' Killyburn Braes
The Battle Axe and the Devil

There are some broadside versions at  Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

The Devil in search of a wife  Printed between 1819 and 1844 by J. Pitts, 6 Great St. Andrew Street, Seven Dials, London.

A pleasant new ballad you here may behold, how the divel (through [sic] subtle) was guld by a scold  Printed between 1663 and 1674 for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright of London.

The Sussex farmer  Printed between 1819 and 1844 by J. Pitts, Toy and Marble Warehouse, 6 Great St. Andrew Street, Seven Dials, London.

These are large images.  The last is closest to the traditional versions.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: The Devil And The Plough
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Aug 00 - 02:07 PM

There are three American versions, with sound files, at the  Max Hunter Folk Song Collection:

Devil Doings  As sung by Mrs. George Ripley in Milford, Missouri on December 14, 1959.
Farmers Curst Wife  As sung by Mrs. May Kennedy McCord, Springfield, Missouri on May 21, 1960.
Devil's Curst Wife  As sung by Johhny Morris, Springfield, Missouri on May 22, 1960.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Devil and the Ploughman
From: GUEST,ednaelk
Date: 07 Aug 08 - 09:13 PM

I'm looking for the chords to this. Anyone have them? Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Devil and the Ploughman
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 16 - 04:50 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Devil and the Ploughman
From: GUEST,threelegsoman
Date: 12 May 16 - 02:14 AM

I uploaded two versions of this song:

1. The Farmer's Curst Wife: The Farmer's Curst Wife (Including lyrics and chords)

2 The Little Devils: The Little Devils (Including lyrics and chords)