I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again, Lyric Variant 01

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

Folk songs--United States

Married people--Songs and music

Mothers--Songs and music

Poverty--Songs and music

Regret--Songs and music

The Single Girl, I Wish I Were Single Again, A Drunkard, The Drunkard's Wife, A Married Woman's Lament, I'm Satisfied, When I was Single, I Wish I Were a Single Girl Again

AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967

PDF

English

Text

The Sngle Girl Gal.

When I was single, I went dressed all so fine.
Now I am married, go ragged all the time.
Oh I wish I was a single girl gal again.

When I was single, my new shoes would screak.
Now I am married, my and oh my shoes, O they do leak
Oh I wish I was a single girl again.

Three Two little children, a crying for bread.
And Oh, I am hungry, Nothing to give them an, I wish I was dead.
Oh, I wish I was a single girl gal again.

One a crying Mammy, I want a piece of bread,
The other a crying Mammy, I want to go to bed.
Oh, Mammy I wish I was a single girl gal again.

Wh their them little feet and send them to bed.
Long comes their Daddy and wishes they were dead. asks if they’ve been fed.
Oh I wish I was a single girl again.

Dishes to wh, and the spring to go to,
When you are married you have the work it all to do.
Oh I wish I was a single girl gal again.

The chickens are to feed, the cows areto milk.
Them The blamed little children are all crying yit.
Oh I wish I was a single girl gal again.

It’s hard to be married and not have enough of
bread.
But I’d rather marry the devil than never to be wed.
Oh I wish I was a single girl again.
Oh I’m glad I’m not a single girl gal again.

Wh them little hands & send them to school
Long comes that drunkard & calls me a fool

Brown, Drink and Gambling Songs - 28 Randolph, 366 Combs, 178 Warner, 126

113_IWishIWasASingleGirlAgain_Lyric_01