The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #26326   Message #3827162
Posted By: AmyLove
17-Dec-16 - 10:44 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding
Recording by Annalisa Kerrigan:

The Frog's Wedding

And from her liner notes (found here )

I first heard this sung by the incandescent
Mary O'Hara. There are many different
legends connected to this song; some say it
was about a Catholic man – the frog – who
got caught trying to marry a Protestant lass
– the butterfly – and they were caught by
the Guards. He escaped only to be drowned
in a river. Like Mary O'Hara, I chose to leave
out the traditional penultimate verse, which I
found rather horrid.

There was a frog lived in the well,
'Haigh ho!' said Roly
There was a frog lived in the well,
And a merry mouse in the Dell.
With me Roly Poly
Cabbage and Spinach
and Haigh! For Anthony Roly!"

Said the frog, 'I must go court,
With my bayonet and my sword.'

'Where will the wedding be?'
'At the butt of an ivy tree.'

'Now we're all in very good cheer,
If we had some music here!'

In came the bumble bee,
Clapped a bagpipe on his knee.

'Now we're all in very good cheer,
If we had some dancing here!'

In came the butterfly,
Swore she'd dance until she'd die.

Then commenced a terrible din,
The cat and her kittens came tumbling in.

Frog jumped up with a terrible fright,
And doffed his hat and said, 'Good night!'

As the Frog was crossing the stream,
A big duck came and gobobbled him up.