“The Bald-Headed End of the Broom”

Description

The singer warns men against marriage: It's fun at first, but wait till you're stuck "with a wife and (sixteen) half-starved kids." "So keep away from the girls... For when they are wed, they will bang you on the head With the bald-headed end of a broom"

Recordings

• Grandpa Jones, "The Bald Headed End of A Broom" (King 717, 1948)
• Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, "Look Before You Leap" (probably rewritten; Columbia 15601-D, 1930; on CPoole03)
• George Reneau, "Bald Headed End of The Broom" (Vocalion 14930, Silvertone 3052, 1924; Vocalion 5052, c. 1926)
• Walter "Kid" Smith & Norman Woodlief with Posey Rorer, "The Bald-Headed End of a Broom" (Gennett 6887/Champion 15772 [as by Jim Taylor and Bill Shelby]/Supertone 9454 [as by Jerry Jordan], 1929)
• Mike Seeger, "The Baldheaded End of a Broom" (on MSeeger01)\

References

1. Randolph 386, "The Bald-Headed End of the Broom" (2 texts, 1 tune)
2. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 313-315, "The Bald-Headed End of the Broom" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 386A)
3. BrownII 206, "Boys, Keep Away from the Girls" (1 text)
4. MHenry-Appalachians, p. 34, "Advice to the Boys" (1 fragment, only two stanzas and without a reference to the broom but with lyrics and theme much like this)
5. Fahey-Eureka, pp. 190-191, "The Bald-Headed End of the Broom" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Kennedy 193, "The Bald-Headed End of the Broom" (1 text, 1 tune)
7. Darling-NAS, pp. 273-274, "Baldheaded End of the Broom" (1 text)
8. Gilbert, p. 105, (No title) (1 partial text)
9. Rorrer, p. 94, "Look Before You Leap" (1 text, probably somewhat rewritten and without a chorus)
10. DT, BALDBROM BALDBRM2*
11. Roud #2129
12. BI, FaE190