“The Old Maid and the Burglar”

Description

The old maid prepares for bed by removing her teeth, wig, and glass eye. She then discovers the burglar hiding under her bed. She threatens to shoot him if he will not marry her. He answers, "Woman, for the Lord's sake, shoot!"

Cross references

• cf. "The Warranty Deed" (theme)

Recordings

• Reubin [Reuben?] Burns, "The Burglar Man" (Champion 15376, 1928; rec. 1927)
• Bob Carpenter, "The Burglar Man" (on LomaxCD1702)
• Fiddlin' John Carson, "The Burglar and the Old Maid" (OKeh 45259, 1928)
• Bill Clifton, "Burglar Man" (Blue Ridge 403, n.d.)
• Frank Hutchison, "The Burglar Man" (OKeh 45313, 1929; rec. 1928)
• Riley Puckett, "Burglar Man" (Columbia 15015-D, 1925; rec. 1924)
• Ernest V. Stoneman, "The Old Maid and the Burglar" (Edison 52369, 1928) (CYL: Edison [BA] 5531, 1928)
• Arthur Tanner, "Burglar Man" (Silvertone 3514, 1926)
• Henry Whitter, "The Burglar Man" (OKeh 45063, 1926); Henry Whitter & Fiddler Joe [Samuels], "The Burglar Man" (OKeh, unissued, 1926)

References

1. Laws H23, "The Old Maid and the Burglar"
2. BrownII 192, "The Burglar Man" (1 text)
3. Hudson 110, pp. 249-250, "The Old Maid and the Burglar" (1 text)
4. DT 780, OLMDBURG
5. Roud #658
6. BI, LH23