Will the Weaver, 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.

Adultery--Songs and music

Marital conflict--Songs and music

Cuckolds--Songs and music

Ballads, English

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

Song texts

English

Text

Willie Weaver.

Mother! Mother ! I am married
And I can no longer tarry,
For my wife she does declare
That the breeches she will wear.

Son! O! Son!You must leave her
For she’s courting Willie Weaver.
You go home, bid her adieu
And let me hear no more from you .

On he went. The neighbors met him,
They told him this just for to fret him:
"You can’t guess for your life
"Who I seen with your wife?."

"It was little Willie Weaver
"Standing in the door together
"Standing in the kitchen door
"And where the went, I saw no more."

On he went all in a wonder
Knocking at the door like thunder.
"Who is that, "little Willie cried.
"That’s my husband,yo must hide."

In he went.At last he found him.
"With stifling smoke I mean to drown him".
He built on a big old fire,
Just to suit his heart’s desire.

Down he came all puffing and blowing.
Like an old raccoon he shook him.
He went home all disguised-
Smooty face and smoky eyes.

"Wife! Oh! Wife! I’ve had a trimming,
"For meddling with my neighbor’s women.
She then picked up the old broom stick,
And where he was blue she (turned him black.)
gave a lick.

Bill the Weaver

Sharp, 154 Warner, 47

113_WillTheWeaver_Lyric_02