Lyrics

There was an old man at the foot of the hill If he ain't moved away he's living there still Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day He hitched up his horse and he went out to plow But how to get around, he didn't know how Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day The devil came to his house one day Says "One of your family I'm a-going to take away" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day Then says the old man, "I am undone For I'm afraid you've comе for my oldest son" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fiе Diddle-I-diddle-I-day "It's neither your son nor your daughter I crave But your old scolding woman I now must have" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day The devil put her in a sack And slung her up across his back Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day "Take her on, take her on, with the joy of my heart I hope, by gollies, you'll never part" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day He had barely gotten to the forks of the road When he says, "Old lady, you're a terrible load" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day He carried her down to the gates of hell And says "Punch up the fire, we're gonna scorch her well" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day In come a little devil a-dragging his chain She upped with a hatchet and split out his brain Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day Another little devil went climbing the wall And says, "Take her back, Daddy, she'll murder us all" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day The old man was a-peeping out of the crack And saw the poor devil come a-wagging her back Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day She found the old man sick in the bed And up with a butter- stick and paddled his head Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day The old woman went whistling over the hill "The devil wouldn't have me so I wonder who will" Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day Now this is what a woman can do She can outdo the devil and her old man too Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day There 's one advantage women have over men They can go to hell and come back again Sing hi-diddle-I-diddle-I-fie Diddle-I-diddle-I-day