“Four Nights Drunk”

Description

Our goodman comes home drunk for several nights. Each night he observes an oddity -- another man's horse, boots, sword, etc. Each time his wife says it is something else. Finally he sees a man's head; she explains that, too -- but the head has a beard

Notes

According to Joseph Hickerson, archivist at the Archive of American Folk Culture, Library of Congress, who has studied the ballad, this is the most commonly recovered Child ballad, surpassing even "Barbara Allen" (Child 84). - EC

I have to note that alcohol consumption inhibits sexual performance (even while making men think they are capable of more than they are). Maybe, if Our Goodman came home sober more often, he wouldn't have to worry so much about what his wife was doing while he was in his cups. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Eleven More Months and Ten More Day" (lyrics)

Recordings

• Jo Jo Adams, "Cabbage Head, Parts 1 & 2" (Aristocrat 803, rec. 1948)
• Anonymous singer, "The Merry Cuckold" (on Unexp1)
• Thomas C[larence] Ashley, "Four Night's Experience" (Gennett 6404, 1928; Challenge 405 [as Tom Hutchinson], c. 1928)
• Emmett Bankston & Red Henderson, "Six Nights Drunk, pt. 1/pt. 2" (OKeh 45292, 1929; rec. 1928) {Bronson's #32}
• Harry Cox, Mary Connors, Colin Keane [composite] "The Cuckold's Song (Our Goodman)" (on FSB5, FSBBAL2)
• Jack Elliott, "The Blind Fool" (on Elliotts01)
• John B. Evans, "Three Nights Experience" (Brunswick 237, 1928)
• Blind Lemon Jefferson, "Laboring Man Away from Home" (Paramount, unissued, rec. 1927)
• Earl Johnson & his Dixie Entertainers, "Three Nights Experience" (OKeh 45092, 1927)
• Coley Jones, "Drunkard's Special" (Columbia 14489, 1929; on AAFM1, BefBlues3) {Bronson's #33}
• Colon Keel, "The Three Nights Experience" (AFS 2709 B1, 1939)
• Lena & Sylvester Kimbrough, "Cabbage Head Blues" (Meritt 2201, 1926)
• A. L. Lloyd, "Shickered As He Could Be" (on Lloyd2)
• J. E. Mainer & Band, "Three Nights Drunk" (on LomaxCD1701) {Bronson's #38}
• Wade Mainer, "Three Nights in a Barroom" (Blue Ridge 109, n.d.)
• Mustard and Gravy, "Five Nights' Experience" (Bluebird B-7905, 1938)
• Chris Powell & the Five Blue Flames, "Last Saturday Night" (Columbia 30162, 1949)
• Orrin Rice, "Our Goodman" (AFS; on LC12) {Bronson's #31}
• Pete Seeger, "My Good Man" (on PeteSeeger24)
• George Spicer, "Coming Home Late" (on Voice13)
• Will Starks, "Our Good Man" (AFS 6652 A1, 1942)
• Gid Tanner & his Skillet Lickers, "Three Nights Drunk" (Bluebird B-5748, 1934)
• Gordon Tanner & Smokey Joe Miller, "Four Nights' Experience" (on DownYonder)
• Tony Wales, "Our Goodman" (on TWales1)
• Sonny Boy Williamson [pseud. for Rice Miller] "Wake Up Baby" (Checker 894, 1958)

References

1. Child 274, "Our Goodman" (3 texts)
2. Bronson 274, "Our Goodman" (58 versions)
3. BarryEckstormSmyth pp. 315-317, "Our Goodman" (2 texts, 1 tune) {Bronson's #5}
4. Linscott, pp. 259-262, "Our Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Flanders-Ancient4, pp. 63-71, "Our Goodman" (5 texts plus 2 fragments)
6. Belden, pp. 89-91, "Our Goodman" (2 texts)
7. Randolph 33, "I Went Home One Night" (2 texts, 2 tunes) {Bronson's #19, #46}
8. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 60-63, "i Went Home One Night" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 33B) {Bronson's #46}
9. Randolph-Legman I, pp. 53-57, "Four Nights Drunk" (5 texts, 1 tune)
10. Eddy 25, "Our Goodman" (1 text)
11. Davis-Ballads 43, "Our Goodman" (6 text, one of which is in an appendix because of dialect; 5 tunes entitled "Hobble and Bobble," "The Old Man," "Home Comes the Old Man," "Down Came the Old Man") {Bronson's #8, #39, #6, #7, #56}
12. Davis-More 38, pp. 299-304, "Our Goodman" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
13. BrownII 42, "Our Goodman" (2 texts plus mention of 2 more)
14. Chappell-FSRA 19, "Our Goodman" (1 text)
15. MHenry-Appalachians, pp. 14-16, "Four Nights (Our Goodman)" (1 text)
16. Hudson 22, pp. 122-123, "Our Goodman" (1 short text)
17. Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 231-236, "Our Goodman" (4 texts, with local titles "Three Nights of Experience," Three Nights of Experience," "I Called To My Loving Wife," "Parson Jones"; 3 tunes on pp. 417-418) {Bronson's #29, #54, #50}
18. Brewster 22, "Our Goodman" (1 fragment)
19. Creighton/Senior, pp. 91-92, "Our Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #44}
20. Leach, pp. 653-657, "Our Goodman" (1 text)
21. McNeil-SFB2, pp. 35-39, "Four Night Drunk or The Cabbage Head Song" ; "Ole Lady" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
22. Friedman, p. 445, "Our Goodman" (2 texts)
23. Cray, pp. 11-23, "Four Nights Drunk" (4 texts, 3 tunes)
24. Niles 57, "Our Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune)
25. SharpAp 38, "Our Goodman" (4 texts plus 1 fragment, 5 tunes) {Bronson's #55, #53, #15, #58, #30}
26. Sharp/Karpeles-80E 26, "Our Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune -- a composite version) {Bronson's #30}
27. Chase, pp. 118-119, "Home Came the Old Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
28. DBuchan 61, "Our Goodman" (1 text)
29. JHCox 28, "Our Goodman" (3 texts)
30. SHenry H21ab, p. 508, "The Blin' Auld Man/The Covered Cavalier" (1 text, 1 tune)
31. Paterson/Fahey/Seal, pp. 255-258, "Shickered As he Could Be" (1 text, told in the third person ("This bloke I know") rather than first person)
32. TBB 38, "Our Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune)
33. Abrahams/Foss, pp. 108-110, "Our Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #36}
34. Darling-NAS, pp. 78-80, "Three Nights Drunk"; "Our Goodman" (2 texts)
35. PSeeger-AFB, p. 22, "Four Nights Drunk" (1 text, 1 tune)
36. Silber-FSWB, p. 233, "Four Nights Drunk" (1 text)
37. DT 274, DRUNK5NT GOODMAN2* GOODMAN3
38. Roud #114
39. BI, C274