Downhill of Life, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer hopes for for a cottage by the sea, with a porch, a pony, cow, dog and barn, food to eat and friends to share "the downhill of life." He hopes not to linger "as this worn-out stuff ... may become everlasting to-morrow."
AUTHOR: John Collins (source: notes to Bodleian Harding B 28(211))
EARLIEST DATE: "c.1805" (broadside, Harding B 11(3183)); before 1825 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 28(211))
KEYWORDS: sea food nonballad animal horse friend
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "DOWNHILL OF LIFE, THE"
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, pp. 249-250, "The Downhill of Life" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 122)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 96, "Downhill of Life" (1 fragment)
ADDITIONAL: The Quaver; or Songster's Pocket Companion (London, 1844 ("Digitized by Google")), pp. 112-113, "In the Downhill of Life" (1 text)
Roud #1308
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 28(211), "To-morrow" ("In the down-hill of life, when I find I'm declining"), W. Armstrong (Liverpool), 1820-1824; also Firth b.25(182), Harding B 25(1928), "To-morrow"; Firth b.26(358), Harding B 25(545), Harding B 11(4276), Harding B 11(964), Johnson Ballads 181, Douce Ballads 4(63/64), Harding B 11(963), "[The] Downhill of Life"; Harding B 11(3183), Harding B 25(1577) [some words illegible], "The Prospect of Hope"
File: WT249

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