Old Ann Tucker

DESCRIPTION: Old Ann "was a wife, biggest old stup I saw in my life" She has a hump like a camel and a stupid son. "She tried to sleep but it was no use, For her legs hung out for the chickens to roost" "... want any more you must help yourself"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames)
KEYWORDS: derivative humorous nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, pp. 142-143, "Old Ann Tucker" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Bk 6)
Roud #390
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Old Dan Tucker" (source?: male version)
NOTES [82 words]: I think this is a clear derivative of "Old Dan [or Tan] Tucker" but Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames says, "I have heard many fragemnts of songs concerning a certain notable Ann Tucker. Sometimes, too, I have heard the name Dan Tucker, though I think it should really be Ann, not Dan." Of course, it's difficult to distinguish between "Ol' Dan Tucker" and "Old Ann Tucker."
The chickens roosting line is also found in "Old Dan Tucker": see, for example, Bodleian broadside Firth b.27(169). - BS
Last updated in version 2.6
File: WT142

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