I Wish I Were Single Again (II

I Wish I Were Single Again (II - Female)

DESCRIPTION: The wife complains of the troubles of matrimony. When first her husband courted her, all was kindness, but now it's nothing but work and care for the children and try to stay out of trouble. She says, "I hope I shall be hanged if I ever love again."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (Randolph); the "Married Woman's Lament" versions are said to be from the nineteenth century
KEYWORDS: fight husband marriage
FOUND IN: US(MW,NE,So)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Eddy-BalladsAndSongsFromOhio 70, "How I Wish I Was Single Again" (1 text, 1 tune)
Stout-FolkloreFromIowa 69, pp. 92-93, "A Married Woman's Lament" (3 fragments, with "A" and "B" probably being "I Wish I Were Single Again (II - Female)" and "C" being perhaps "Come All You Virginia Girls (Arkansas Boys; Texian Boys; Cousin Emmy's Blues; etc.)")
Randolph 366, "A Married Woman's Lament" (1 text, 1 tune)
Spaeth-ReadEmAndWeep, pp. 26-27, "A Married Woman's Lament" (1 text, 1 tune, with the unrelated "The Sorrow of Marriage" in an appendix)
McNeil-SouthernMountainFolksong, pp. 40-41, "A Married Woman's Lament" (1 text, 1 tune, which McNeil says is from the nineteenth century)
Abrahams-JumpRopeRhymes, #600, "When I was single I used a powder puff" (1 text)
DT, SNGLGRL2*
Roud #436
RECORDINGS:
Susan Brown, "I Wish I Was Single Again" (on HCargillFamily)
Margaret MacArthur, "Single Again" (on MMacArthur01)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "I Wish I Were a Single Girl Again"
cf. "Single Girl, Married Girl"
cf. "When I Was Young (II)" (theme)
cf. "For Seven Long Years I've Been Married" (theme)
cf. "I'm Satisfied (II)" (theme)
NOTES [35 words]: Characterized by a stanza format something like this:
Once I was single and lived at my ease,
But now I am married with a husband to please,
Four young children to maintain;
Oh how I wish I were single again! - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: E070

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography