I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground

DESCRIPTION: "I wish I (was/were) a mole in the ground (x2), If I was a mole in the ground, I'd root that mountain down...." The singer complains of Kempy's expensive tastes and his troubles with drink and/or the law. He may wish to be other things.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1921 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: animal money hardtimes floatingverses dancetune
FOUND IN: US(MW,SE,So)
REFERENCES (12 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 173, "Mole In the Ground" (1 text)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 173, "Mole in the Ground" (2 tunes plus text excerpts)
Lunsford/Stringfield-30And1FolkSongsFromSouthernMountains, pp. 10-11, "I wish I wuz a Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Jones-MinstrelOfTheAppalachians-Bascom-Lamar-Lunsford, p. 240, "Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-TreasuryOfAmericanFolklore, pp. 900-901, "I Wish I Wuz a Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Rosenbaum-FolkVisionsAndVoices, p. 167, "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Courlander-NegroFolkMusic, p. 144, "(I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground)" (1 text)
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, pp. 152-153, "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
McNeil-SouthernMountainFolksong, pp. 87-89, "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 394, "Mole In The Ground" (1 text)
NorthCarolinaFolkloreJournal, John Forbes (transcriber), "Songs Collected by Mr. Bascom,'" Vol. XXV, No. 1 (May 1977 -- special issue for Bascom Lamar Lunsford), p. 22, "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, WISHMOLE*
Roud #4957
RECORDINGS:
Green Bailey, "I Wish I Were A Mole In The Ground" (Gennett 6732/Conqueror 7255 [as Amos Baker], 1929; rec. 1928; on KMM)
Frank Bode, "Tempy" (on FBode1)
Chancey Bros., "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" (on FolkVisions2)
Eugene Jemison, "Girls, Quit Your Rowdy Ways" (on Jem01)
Bascom Lamar Lunsford, "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" (OKeh 40155, 1924); (Folkways FP 40, c. 1952); (Brunswick 219B, 1928; on AAFM3, BLLunsford01); (BLLunsford02, FMUSA) (LOC AAFS 102/AAFS L21)
Pete Seeger, "Mole in the Ground" (on PeteSeeger09, PeteSeegerCD02)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "I Don't Like No Railroad Man" (floating lyrics)
cf. "My Last Gold Dollar" (floating lyrics)
cf. "New River Train" (tune, floating lyrics)
cf. "Oh, Honey, Where You Been So Long?" (lyrics)
File: BAF900

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