"The Devil Song" | Performance

gCGCD "The Devil Song"/"The Farmer's Curst Wife"/Old Lady & the Devil" (Child 278). 

I forgot a few really funny verses. Below are the complete lyrics as performed by Bobby McMillon of Yancey County, NC when he was recorded by Art Rosenbaum in 1989. To hear the original recording visit: https://dusttodigital.bandcamp.com/al...

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There was an old man lived under the hill  

If he aint moved away he's a living there still, 

Singing fi diddle-eye diddle eye 

Fi diddle-eye diddle-eye day.  

Well he hitched up his horse and he went out to plow  

And how he got around I don't know how,  

Well the Devil he come to the man at his gate  

Said One of you family I'm a gwine to take,  

Well the man he cried I am undone  

He's come to take my oldest son,  

Well it aint your son nor your daughter I crave  

But your old stoney(?) woman it's her I'll have,  

Taker her on Mr. Devil with the joy of my heart  

And I hope to God that you never shall part,  

So he put her up in an old tote sack  

And he looked like a camel with a hump on its back,  

He packed her down to the forks of the road  

Said Get down old lady you're a Hell of a load,  

Then he toted her off to the gates of Hell  

Said Punch up the fire boys scorch her well,  

Along come a little devil a dragging up a chain  

She picked up a hatchet and hacked out its brain,  

Another little smoke devil come aclimbing up there  

She upped with her foot and kicked it in the fire,   

Five more little devils come a scootin down the wall  

Saying Take her her back Pap 'fore she kills us all,  

It's what to do with her I cannot tell  

She aint fit for Heaven and she won't do for Hell,  

One day the old man were peeping through the crack  

He spied the old Devil come waggin her back,  

Here's your wife she's sound and well  

Tell you what's more she's tore up Hell, 

It's I've been the devil about all of my life  

But I never been in Hell til I met your wife,  

She was 7 years agoing and 7 acoming back  

She chawed on tobacco that she left in the crack,  

One day the old man were sick in the bed  

She upped with a butter stick and paddled his head,  

Well the old man cried I surely am cursed  

She been down to Hell and she come back worse,  

The old man went skipping on over the hill 

Said If the Devil won't have her be damned if I will,  

I'll tell you what a woman a can do  

She can out-do the Devil and her old man too,  

This shows that the women are better than the men  

They can go down to Hell and come back again,