Devilish Mary

Recordings

Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers, 1930
Early American Folk Songs, Bob Atcher, 1949
Darling Corey, Pete Seeger, 1950
Shivaree!, Oscar Brand, 1955
Peggy Seeger, Peggy Seeger, 1956
At The Gate Of Horn, Odetta, 1957
Walt Robertson, Walt Robertson, 1959
Traditional Music from Grayson and Carroll Counties, Virginia: Songs, Tunes with Fiddle, Banjo and Band, Various Artists (Glen Neaves and Grayson County Boys), 1962
Horton Barker: Traditional Singer, Horton Barker , 1962
Folk and Other Songs, Steve Camacho, 1962
At Town Hall, Odetta, 1962
Red Fox Chasers, Red Fox Chasers, 1967
Skillet Lickers, Vol. 1, Skillet Lickers, 196?
Introducing The Beers Family, The Beers Family, 196?
Hangin', Drinkin' And Stuff, Art and Paul, 196?
Golden Skein, Beers Family, 1972
No. 3 Special, Highwoods String Band, 1978
Evo's Autoharp, Evo Bluestein, 1985
Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 6, Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, 1987
Darling Corey/Goofing Off Suite, Pete Seeger, 1993
Feed Your Babies Onions: Fat City Favorites, Highwoods Stringband, 1994
Land Of Yahoe, Various Artists (Billy Don Stamper), 1996
Respect: A Century Of Women In Music, Various Artists (Roba Stanley), 1999
Ballad of the Boonslick, Cathy Barton & Dave Para, 19??
The Story That the Crow Told Me, Vol. 2: Early American Rural Children's Songs, Various Artists (Skillet Lickers), 2000
Triple Stop, Scotty Anderson, 2001
Off to California, Piney Creek Weasels, 2003
The Land of Yahoe: Children's Entertainment from the Days before Television, Various Artists, ????
Smokey Mountain Pickin': 24 Great Bluegrass Instrumentals, Various Artists (Boys From Shilo/Vassar Clements), 2003
Front Porch Pickin', Various Artists (Vassar Clements), 2008

Notes

This song dates back to at least the 1880s. In some collections it is referred to as a British ballad but no version has ever been 'collected' in the field in Britain.

Played by the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers in San Carlos on June 11th 1962. The lyrics used by the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers are as follows;

When I was young and foolish,
Swore I never would marry,
I met up with a pretty little girl,
Surely we got married.

(Chorus)
Along come a-dink come a-dary,
Prettiest girl that ever I saw,
Her name was Devilish Mary.

We both were young and foolish,
She was just (?),
On one word we did agree,
The wedding day was Thursday.

Chorus...

Hadn't been married but about six weeks,
She got as mean as a devil,
Every time I looked cross-eyed,
She hit me in the head with a shovel.

Chorus...

We hadn't been married but about six weeks,
We decided to be parted,
She packed up all her (duds?),
And down the road she started.

Chorus...

Fill my back with old soap suds,
Fill my back with stitches,
Next I would marry a girl,
She can wear the britches.

Chorus...

If I ever marry another girl,
It'll be for love not riches,
Marry a little girl about four feet high,
So she can wear my britches.

Chorus...