Where There's a Will There's a Way

DESCRIPTION: "This life is a difficult riddle." "So what's the use of repining, For where there's a will there's a way, Tomorrow the sun will be shining Although it is cloudy today." A spider tries nine times to climb a wall and finally succeeds. Work brings success
AUTHOR: probably Harry Clifton (credited to him in his performances)
EARLIEST DATE: 1866 (performed by Harry Clifton)
KEYWORDS: work nonballad bug
FOUND IN: US(Ro)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Fife/Fife-SaintsOfSageAndSaddle, pp. 82-83, "(What's the Use of Repining)" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #13835
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.13(43), "Where There's a Will There's a Way," J. Harkness (Preston), 1840-1866; also 2806 c.13(102), ibid; also Harding B 11(4146), ibid; also 2806 b.9(131)=2806 b.9(146), P. Brereton (Dublin), c. 1867; also Harding B 26(675), ibid.; also Firth b.26(164)=Harding B 11(4147), L. Povey (Berkeley), 18??; also Harding B 15(371a), W. S. Fortey (London), 1858-1885; also Harding B 15(371b), H. Disley (London), 1860-1883; also Harding B 16(304d), unknown, n.d.
NOTES [67 words]: For background on Harry Clifton, see the notes to "The Good Ship Kangaroo."
Laura Ingalls Wilder quotes a a very substantial portion of this in The Long Winter, chapter 33, "Christmas in May," on the last two pages of the book. Her version has experienced significant folk processing, but of course that might be because the book was written almost sixty years after the Hard Winter of 1880/1881. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.6
File: FSSS082

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