I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again, Lyric Variant 02

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

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

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

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

Three little children, a crying for bread.
And Oh, I am hungry, I wish I was dead.
Oh, I wish I was a single girl again.

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

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

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

Chickens are to feed, the cows are to milk.
Them blamed little children are all crying yet.
Oh I wish I was a single girl again.

It's hard to be married and not have enough 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 again.

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

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