“Short Life of Trouble”

Description

"Short life of trouble, A few more words apart, A short life of trouble, dear girl, For a boy with a broken heart." The singer reminds the girl that she promised to marry him. He takes the train out of town and/or hopes the grave will be his home

Supplemental text

Short Life of Trouble
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

As recorded by Burnett & Rutherford, November 6, 1926. Transcribed
by Robert Waltz

   A short life of trouble,
   A few more words apart,
   A short life of trouble, dear girl,
   For a boy with a broken heart.

You know what you promised,
It's been some time ago,
You promised you'd marry me,
Standing on the ballroom floor.

I hear that train a-coming,
She's going by the station door,
I'd rather be dead and in my grave
Than see my darling so.

   (Chorus)

I see my coffin coming,
A-travelling on a cab,
Gonna take me to some lonesome graveyard,
And then the grave be my home.

And when I'm dead and buried,
Will you console (sic.) some flowers,
To show to some people 'round here
The heart you have broken like that.

   (Chorus)

Sleeping on the bedside,
Her eyes was pink (?) and blue.
I'd give this world and half of my life
If only I was married to you.

   (Chorus)

   (Repeat Chorus)

          *** B ***

As recorded by G. B. Grayson and Henry Whitter, July 31, 1928. Transcribed
by Robert Waltz

   Short life of trouble,
   Only a word to part,
   Short life of trouble, dear girl,
   For a boy with a broken heart.

You know what you promised,
Not more than a week ago,
You promised that you'd marry me,
Standing in your mama's door.

   (Chorus)

Now you've broke your promise;
Go marry whoever you may;
This old world's so big and so wide,
I'll ramble back someday.

If I owned this whole wide world,
All that's in it too,
I'd give it all, both silver and gold,
If I was only married to you.

   (Chorus)

Recordings

• Emry Arthur, "Short Life of Trouble" (Paramount 3290, 1931)
• [Clarence] Ashley & [Gwen] Foster, "Short Life of Trouble" (Perfect 12800/Conqueror 8149, 1932)
• Blue Sky Boys, "Short Life of Trouble" (Bluebird B-8829, 1941)
• Burnett & Rutherford, "A Short Life of Trouble" (Columbia 15133-D, 1927; rec. 1926; on BurnRuth01)
• [G. B.] Grayson & [Henry] Whitter, "Short Life of Trouble" (Victor V-40105, 1928; on GraysonWhitter01, LostProv1)
• Buell Kazee, "Short Life of Trouble" (Brunswick 214, 1928; on KMM)
• J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers (or Wade Mainer), "Short Life and It's Trouble" (Bluebird B-6936, 1937)
• Riley Puckett, "Short Life of Trouble" (Decca 5442, 1937)
• Doc Watson & Arnold Watson, "A Short Life of Trouble" (on WatsonAshley01)

References

1. Fuson, p. 127, "Pass the Drunkard By" (1 text, with a first verse in which the girl describes Mama's advice against drunkards but otherwise like the usual versions)
2. ST RcSLOT (Full)
3. Roud #3418
4. BI, RcSLOT