The Digital Tradition entry says "The Kissing Song" is by Jean Thomas, but the Bob Coltman album notes credit it to "Trad., Day." Anybody know for sure where this cute song comes from?
If you explore this entry [ http://louisville.edu/library/music/pdf/thomasaid.pdf ], you'll find that the "Kissing Song" is in box 6, item 25, of the Jean Thomas collection at the University of Louisville - but it appears it's just one song sheet among her many papers.
Ah, I think Richard Matteson has the answer on his Bluegrass Messangers Website. He says, "James William "Jim" Day (1861-1942) of Rowan County was a Kentucky fiddler. He was discovered by traditional folk music entrepreneur Jean Thomas, who changed his name to Jilson Setters, the Singin’ Fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow." Further on, Richie says "The Kissing Song" came from Day - but Richie does not say that Day was the songwriter.
Here's Bob's response to my query: "Kissing Song" - I credited Blind Bill Day as carrier of the song; but he didn't write it. I have better sources now than I had then, and thanks to Gus Meade's wonderful Country Music Sources, I can credit it properly as a vaudeville or stage song, words and music by Billy Carter, 1882.
KISSING SONG (from the Digital Tradition)
(Jean Thomas) (Billy Carter)
When a man falls in love with a little turtledove
He will linger all around her underjaw.
He will kiss her for her mother and her sister and her brother
Till her daddy comes and kicks him from the door.
Draws a pistol from his pocket, pulls the hammer back to cock it
And vows he'll blow away his giddy brain.
His ducky says he mustn't, 'tisn't loaded and he doesn't.
And they're kissing one another once again.
Oh, the old folks love it, and the gals ain't above it.
Everybody's got a finger in the pie.
They'll act a little haughty, and they say it's very naughty.
But you bet your life they're kissing on the sly.
When a girl is seventeen she thinks it's very mean
If she cannot catch on someone for a mash.
She'll pucker up her mouth in a pretty little pout
And finger Underneath his big mustache.
It'd make a fellow quiver, he would like to jump the river.
She will stick as tight as granulated glue,
It's no use to tell her you are someone else's feller,
She will masticate your smeller if you do.
If you want to kiss her neatly, very sweetly and completely.
If you want to kiss her so's to fix her nice.
Just when you go to kiss her take a dab or two and miss her.
And mash her in the kisser once or twice.
This song was frequently sung by "Blind Bill" Day, who was discovered by song collector Jean Thomas. Bob Coltman recently discovered that the song can be credited properly as a vaudeville or stage song, words and music by Billy Carter, 1882.
@courtship @humor
Recorded by Bob Coltman
filename[ KISSNG
SOF
The Max Hunter Collection has a very different recording of this song by Glenn Ohrlin.
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