“When I Was Young (II)”
Description
Singer laments married life, saying when she was young she lived well and happily, but now she lives in poverty and misery. The chorus warns, "Ye'd better be a maiden as a poor man's wife."
Notes
Obviously, this is extremely close to the songs listed as cross-references, and they have either cross-fertilized or share a common ancestor, but it has a distinctly different chorus, emphasizing being a poor man's wife, and as such I think it deserves a separate listing. -PJS
Cross references
- cf. "Single Girl, Married Girl"
- cf. "Sorry the Day I Was Married"
- cf. "I Wish I Were a Single Girl Again" (theme)
- cf. "I Wish I Were Single Again (II - Female)" (theme)
- cf. "Do You Love an Apple?" (theme, floating lyrics)
- cf. "For Seven Long Years I've Been Married" (theme)
Recordings
- Margaret Barry & Michael Gorman, "It's Better to be Single Than a Poor Man's Wife" (on Barry-Gorman1)
References
- Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, p. 102, "When I Was Young" (1 text, 1 tune)
- DT, BTTRSNGL*
- Roud #894
- BI, VWL102