I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again, Lyric Variant 04

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

Single Gal

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

When I was single, my new shoes would squeak.
Now I am married, and oh, my shoes do leak.
Oh I wish I was a single gal again.

Three little children a cryin' for bread.
Nothing to give them, an' I almost wish I's dead
Oh, I wish I was a single gal again.

One a cryin' "Mammy, I want a piece of bread,"
The other cryin' Mammy, I want to go to bed."
Oh, I wish I was a single gal again.
Wh their little feet and send them to bed.
Long comes their Daddy and asks if they've been fed
Oh I wish I was a single gal again.

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

Chickens to feed, the cows are to milk.
The blamed little children are all cryin' yet.
Oh I wish I was a single gal again.
It's hard to be married, an' 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

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

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