Old Lady and the Devil - Traditional American Folk Song - Mountain Banjo

Old Lady And The Devil is a humorous traditional American folk song. I sing and play it on the mountain banjo fingerstyle. I use AI for the pictures.

This song is performed by Bill & Belle Reed and appears on the compilation Anthology Of American Folk Music (1952).

There was an old man lived foot of the hill
If he ain't moved away, he's a-livin' there still
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

He hitched up his horse and went out to plow
How he got around we never knew how
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Ol' devil come to him in the field one day
Sayin', "One of your family (your old lady) I'm gonna take away"
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Take her on, take her on with the joy of my heart
I hope, by golly, you'll never part
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Ol' devil got her all up on his back
He looked like a pedlar with a hump on his back
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Ol' devil got to the forks of the road
He said "Old lady, you're a hell of a load"
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Ol' devil got to the gates of hell
Said, "Punch the fire up, we'll scorch her well"
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Out come a little devil a-draggin' a chain
She picked up a hatchet and split out his brains
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Out come a little devil a-skatin' on a wall
Said, "Take her back, pap, she's a-murderin' us all"
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Little devil was a-peepin' out the crack
Said, "Take her home, Daddy, don't you bring her back"
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

The old man was a-peepin' out the crack
He seen the old devil come wagonin' her back
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

One day the old man lay sick in the bed
She up with a butter stick and rattled his head
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Well the old man cried I surely am cursed
She been down to Hell and come back worse,

The old lady went whistlin' over the hill
Said, "The devil won't have me and I don't know who will"
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day

Now you see what a woman can do
She can outdo the devil and the old man too
Singin' fa diddle-a, diddle-a, fa diddle-a, diddle-a day