The George Foss Collection

Will the Weaver
  Marybird McAllister  

Song 9 notes


"Neighbor, Neighbor, come to tell you
Saw your wife and Will the weaver
They was standing in the door
This I saw but nothing more."

He come home all in a wonder
Rattlin' at the door like thunder.
"Who is that?" poor Willie cried.
"Tis my husband you must hide."

Up the pole the weaver wented
In the door her husband entered
"Husband, husband I do say
Where you been this livelong day?"

"You been at the tavern drinking
Spending all your gold and living?
Leave your poor wife here at home
For to weep and make a moan?"

"Hold your tongue, you false deceiver.
Where the hell is Will the weaver?"
Search the house and all around --
Durn the weaver couldn't be found

He peeped up the chimney hole
And there he spied his ugly soul
Settin' on the ladder pole
----------------------

"Oh my lad I'm glad I found you
I will neither hang nor drown you,
But I'm going to stifle you with smoke"
This I saw but nothing spoke.

He put on a rousing fire
Just to please his own desire,
Made ole Willie cough and sneeze
In that place he had no ease

He put on another fuel
Up steps his dearest jewel.
"If I am your lawful wife
Take him down and spare his life."

Off the pole he boldly took him
Thru the floor he fairly shook him
Hands and feet, clothes likewise
Sent him home with two black eyes.

I never saw a chimney sweeper
Half as black as Willie weaver
Give him a kick and sent him home
Not to bother me no more.


A great part of Marybird McAllister's repertoire is made up of funny songs. These songs, often bursting with folk humor, seemed to match her own tastes and zest for the comic. She never sang the final line of stanza six, always falling into a spate of giggling at that point. Each performance of the song came with a detailed explanation of how old mountain cabins had a heavy iron rod built in across the back of the open hearth. From this "pot pole" or "ladder pole" were hung the kettles and pots used in cooking over the open fire. The mental image of poor Will with only his blackening feet showing being engulfed by the smoke as it rose up around him in the chimney always brought laughter to the listeners, and in this case to the singer as well.


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