This is Rawlings and Welch’s version of The Farmer’s Curst Wife, a traditional folk song.
As opposed to most recordings of this song “Yup” is repeated in lieu of yodeling.
There was an old man who lived over the hill
If he ain't dead yet, he's a -living there still
Yup, yup
Oh well, the devil come up to him one day
Said "One of your family I'm gonna take away"
Yup, yup
Well please don't take my eldest son
There's work on the farm that's got to be done
Yup, yup
Well it's-a not your eldest son I crave
It's your stol'den wife, I'm gonna take her away
Yup, yup
Now the old man jumped up with a start
Saying "You can take her with all of my heart"
Yup, yup
So the devil picked her up upon his back
He looked like an eagle stretched on a rack
Yup, yup
And he carried her on 'bout a mile down the road
Saying "Oh woman, you're a hell of a load"
Yup, yup
And he carried her down to the gates of hell
Saying "Poke up the fire, we'll scorch her well!"
Yup, yup
There were two little devils with a ball and chain
Up with her foot, she kicked out their brains
Yup, yup
And nine little devils went climbing up the walls
Saying "Take her back, Daddy, she'll murder us all"
Yup, yup
I woke up the next morning, I peeked out of the crack
I see the old devil just a-dragging her back
Yup, yup
Saying here's your wife both sound and well
If I kept her there longer, she'd've torn up hell
Yup, yup
Well it only goes to show what a woman can do
She can whoop up the devil and her husband too
Yup, yup
Shows one advantage women have over man
They can go down to hell and come back again
Yup, yup
Yup, yup
Yup was written by David Rawlings.
Yup was produced by David Rawlings.
David Rawlings released Yup on Fri Aug 11 2017.