ADD: A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go

Subject: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Katy Mitchell
Date: 06 Jun 99 - 03:52 AM

My mother sung a version of this nursery rhyme to me when I was a baby and I am now desperately searching for the lyrics! Can anyone help me? Where do I look?

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Ewan McVicar
Date: 06 Jun 99 - 04:54 AM

Katy

In an hour or two someone will wearily but politely post here for you the usual instructions on how to use the search facility which is on the page you started your 'thread' from. Basically you type in key words - frog or froggie or wooing, and a bunch of lyric options will appear.
However, you may well not find the words you hope to get. This 'nursery rhyme' has been around for hundreds of years in the UK, the USA, and all English-speaking lands, and there are many many many versions and variants.
Good luck.

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Susan of DT
Date: 06 Jun 99 - 11:22 AM

You can find several versions by a search for #306

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From:
Date: 06 Jun 99 - 05:12 PM

A facsimile of the earliest extant copy is on the SCA Minstrel website. Click on the Thomas Ravenscroft link.

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Correction, it's not a facimile now, but a modern transcription from Melismata, with music, as a .gif

Click

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Bousingo
Date: 09 May 08 - 01:54 AM

Does anyone know of any recordings of "Froggy he would a-wooing go"?
                                                   Bousingo

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 09 May 08 - 05:25 AM

I've got one of Seamus Ennis singing it, must dig it out...

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Joe_F
Date: 09 May 08 - 09:31 PM

My mother sang only the first stanza:

A frog he would a-wooing go --
Hi-ho! says Raleigh --
Whether his mother would let him or no,
To my rolypoly gammon and spinach --
Hi-ho! says Anthony Raleigh.

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 May 08 - 11:11 AM

And if you look at the very beginning of this thread, before the first post, you'll see links both to the Digital Tradition (with words and sometimes music for various versions), and previous threads. You'll come up with more variants than you can shake a mouse at.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 08 - 05:02 AM

try this...
http://michelesworld.net/dmm2/frog/wooing.htm

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Mar 23 - 03:23 PM

Hmm. Don't see the lyrics.

https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1153

A FROG HE WOULD A-WOOING GO

A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley, powley*, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
So off he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me,
Kind Mrs. Mousey for to see…
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

They came to the door of Mousey's hall,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mrs. Mouse are you within?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I'm sitting to spin.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mrs. Mouse will you give us some beer?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mr. Frog will you give us a song?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Let it be something that's not very long.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Indeed, Mrs. Mouse, replied Mr. Frog,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Since you have a cold, Mr. Frog, Mousey said,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
I'll sing you a song that I've just made.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

But while they were all a-merry-making
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
He took up his hat and he wished them goodnight.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
A lily white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

So there was the end of one, two, three,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
The rat, the mouse, and the little froggy.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Subject: RE: 'A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go'
From: PHJim
Date: 20 Mar 23 - 10:20 PM

My dad sang the same version as Joe F.'s mom. I just recall the last two verses:

They paddled off across the lake
Hi-ho! says Raleigh
They paddled off across the lake
And got swallered up by a big black snake
To my rolypoly gammon and spinach
Hi-ho! says Anthony Raleigh.

Well, that was the end of him and her
Hi-ho! says Raleigh
That was the end of him and her
Now we won't have tadpoles covered in fur
To my rolypoly gammon and spinach
Hi-ho! says Anthony Raleigh.

Subject: RE: ADD: A Froggy Would A-Wooing Go
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 21 Mar 23 - 12:09 PM

Be careful which link words you use.
The refrain "Hey Ho Says Rawley (Rolly) is shared with a rather explicit Rugby song!

cheers