Brian Peters The Farmer's Curst Wife
Now there was an old man lived under a hill
If he ain't moved away he's living there still
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
He took out his horse and began to plough
But how he got around he didn't know how
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
Now the Devil came to his house one day
Says, "Your old wife I'm going to take away"
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
"Take her on, take her on, with all of my heart
I hope, by golly, that you'll never part"
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
So the Devil took the old woman up on his back
The old man says, "Don't you ever bring her back!"
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
Now they hadn't gone half a mile down the road
When the old Devil says, "You're a hell of a load"
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
But when they got to the gates of Hell
He says, "Punch up the fire, we're gonna toast her well"
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
So the Devil built the flames up higher and higher
She up with her foot and kicked him in the fire
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
There was three little devils a-dragging their chains
She up with a hatchet and split out their brains
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
There were nine more devils a-running through the hall
They says, "Take her back, Daddy, she's a-murdering us all!"
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
Now the old man was peeping out of a crack
When he saw the Devil come a-wagging her back
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
She found the old man sick in his bet
She up with the butter-stick and beat him on the head
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
So that shows you what the women can do
They can outwit the Devil and their old man too
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day
And that's one advantage women have over men
They can go down to Hell, they can come back again
Hi, diddle-aye diddle-aye fie
Diddle-aye diddle-aye day