froggie went a courtin

Subject: froggie went a courtin
From: Annabelle
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 01:33 AM

this is a great song, but for some reason the version i know has this verse toward the end that goes teemy time-o, in the land of nee-o pharoah, etc and if anyone has ever heard it like this, could they let me know if im imagining things or what the real words are . THANKS

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Racer
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 01:45 AM

Is this the song from the Tom and Jerry cartoon? I would love to know this song.

-Racer

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 01:54 AM

There's a site dedicated to the song at
http://www.concentric.net/~Highl14/froggy.html
It has over 150 verses collected from "over 25 sources". You might try looking there.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 03:08 AM

I was about to say that we have an old thread or two around here that you can find by typing frog in the forum search box....They had a lot of verses but I doubt seriously if we approach the 150 mark!!!

Does the Harry Fox Agency know about this?

Spaw

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Stewie
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 04:06 AM

Nathan, thanks for the interesting link. However, it makes no mention of the wonderful 1928 'King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O' by Chubby Parker from Kentucky which has been reissued on CD in the Harry Smith 'Anthology' and elsewhere. In a previous thread, Dale Rose gave the references to various versions cited in the notes to the 'Anthology' CD reissue.

Click Here

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: reggie miles
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 08:56 AM

There is a great rendition of this song on a Tom and Jerry cartoon. The only version I've heard that compares is one I caught at a back yard party I played years ago. Our hostess requested it and joined in with a verse or two of her own and had the most amazing nonsense line I've ever heard. I finally after years of gentle prodding got her to send me a tape of her most unusual nonsense phrasing. I posted a related thread a while back trying to find confirmation of a word used to describe nonsense phrases. A book titled Conundrums calls nonsense words or phrases "crambo". In the Tom and Jerry version of this song the singer uses the word crambo at the end of each of his nonsense verses. Nathan, do they mention the T&J version at that site?

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 01:00 PM

I have sing-song kitty kitcha kime-e-o by Ed McCurdy, is it thw same thing? There was a frog lived in the spring, he was so hoarse he could not sing? Not related to froggy-went-a-courting other than having a frog...

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 01:31 PM

Doc Watson does a great Kemo-Kimo version. Another version can be heard sung by Lawrence Older, a former logger I recorded in the Adirondacks, on his Folk-Legacy recording, now available as a custom cassette with a booklet of notes on the songs. CLICK HERE and then scroll down to about the fourth or fifth listing. Lawrence was a very "listenable" traditional singer, played guitar, and sang with a pleasant voice and a great Adirondack accent.

Sandy

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 05:55 PM

Stewie (and all of you): The Chubby Parker version is also available on Volume 1 of the wonderful new 2-volume CD set The Story That the Crow Told Me; Early American Rural Children's Songs from Yazoo (Shanachie). Nevins has done another truly outstanding job of gathering old records from the 20s and 30s and remastering them. These are GEMS!

I ought to mention that there is a nice "Frog Went a-Courtin'" by Anna and Julietta Canova on Volume 2. If you are into traditional folk music at all, and have kids (or grandkids) these two CDs are MUST HAVES! You can get 'em from Dick at Camsco, as I did, and Mudcat benefits, too.

Sandy (still a real folk enthusiast after all these years!)

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Stewie
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 07:11 PM

Hi Sandy, I agree that the 'Something the Crow' sets cannot be recommended too highly. If you like vintage Hawaiian, as I do, you will be pleased to know that the next couple of reissues (later this month) in the Yazoo 2000 series are a King Bennie Nawahi collection and a various artists Hawaiian steel collection.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Annabelle
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 08:30 PM

i dont understand what this kitchy kemo stuff is, but it may be related to the verse i know that is (phonetically_

teemy tim-o in the land of neo Pharoah said a rat trap peeny winkle timey doodle rattle buggy rat trap peenie winkle tie me oh

its great-but i have only heard it done this way with a family i know. tell me if you've heard of this or know anyhtin more about it

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 08:50 PM

Doc Watson includes a "nip cat penny winkle" phrase in his "Kemo-Kimo" version, but I have never transcribed his exact refrain. My wife's mother, raised in Savannah, Georgia, sang a Kemo-Kimo version, but without the nip-cats. Don't underestimate the widespread influence of early recordings and radio in extending the area in which many songs have been found. These early 78 rpm recordings had a profound effect on the traditional methods of oral transmission.

Would it be possible for you, Annabelle, to write down the text of the entire song as your friends sing it, and post it to us here? I, for one, would love to see it, and so, I'm sure, would many others.

Sandy

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,BANJO JOHNNY
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 09:14 PM

Can't figure out what you folks are talking about. There is one that goes, Froggy went a-courtin and he did ride, hum hum, repeat, repeat, Sword and a pistol by his side, hum hum. Goes on as he wants to marry Miss Mousie, etc. Am I on the right wave length here?

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 09:29 PM

Sara Grey does a wonderful version on her Waterbug record, with a refrain that says, "Hi, ho, linkum laddie." It's a long version with lots of wedding guest critters; the principals come to a bad end. Irene Saletan and Ellen Christenson (nee Kossoy sisters) and I sing the chorus harmonies. Joan Sprung

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Joan
Date: 08 Jun 00 - 09:48 PM

That was my post above. Just reset my cookie, which somebody seemed to have eaten. Not GUEST any more.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Jun 00 - 01:40 AM

Hi Banjo Johnny, yes, the original question was about that froggy going a-courting, but there seems to be a side-discussion going about a song with a refrain in my version (=what I hear Ed McCurdy singing which may or may not be what he sings) that goes Kemo Kimo where o where, mahee, mahigh, and in come Sally singing sing song pennywhistle ding tongue nippy cat sing song kitty kitcha kime-e-o. It's a nonsense song with puns, like in one verse "the fellows grow to beat 10 feet" and in the next they "Tried to sleep but it's no use ... their feet stick out for the hens to roost" and so on. I haven't done a digitrad search on it yet but from the tone of the above conversation I think it is in it.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Jun 00 - 01:43 AM

OK, I've looked it up, and while the version in there is obviously related to Ed's, Ed's is different enough that I'm going to do a Lyrics Add.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Annabelle
Date: 10 Jun 00 - 12:44 AM

where can i find Doc watson's kemo-kimo version, i listened to a version today and it didnt have it. what almbum??

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,David H
Date: 11 Jun 00 - 05:31 PM

I try not to include any versions that might not be in the public domain.

Stewie wrote: Nathan, thanks for the interesting link. However, it makes no mention of the wonderful 1928 'King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O' by Chubby Parker from Kentucky which has been reissued on CD in the Harry Smith 'Anthology' and elsewhere. In a previous thread, Dale Rose gave the references to various versions cited in the notes to the 'Anthology' CD reissue.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Hollowfox
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 01:26 PM

You might want to look into Doug Elliott's book "Crawdads, Doodlebugs and Creasy Greens" (yes, that's "creasy" not "greasy"). He tells some of the history of the song (theories that it's about Queen Elizabeth I, etc). It's also on the companion tape "Crawdads, Doodlebugs and Greens". I got a copy at Old Songs festival, and I know it's available on Amazon.com.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 03:14 PM

Hmmm - I'll have to go through my Dad's records, currently chez one of my sisters, to get the album name. Anyone else?

Subject: Lyr Add: HERE'S TO CHESHIRE
From: GUEST,Doris, Guest
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 03:18 PM

My sister had a different version which my kids liked, maybe because of the food references:

Frog went a-courtin' he did ride,
Ding, dang, dong went the wedding bells
Sword and buckler by his side,
Ding, Dang, Dong went the wedding bells

CHORUS: Here's to Cheshire. Here's to cheese
Here's to the pear and the apple trees
And here's to the love-e-ly stra-a-a-awberries
Ding, Dang, Dong went the wedding bells
etc.

The last verse (a signal that the singer was going to end it (if not end it all) was

There's bread and cheese upon the shelf
Ding, Dang, Dong went the wedding bells
If you want any more you can sing it for yourself
Ding, Dand, Dong went the wedding bells
Here's to Cheshire, etc.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 24-Sep-02.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,Rollo
Date: 15 Jun 00 - 01:21 AM

While I knew the texas folk song version (completely reduced to the core, as many texas folk songs are) from a book, I heard a wonderful irish(!) song that might be the origin... the melody seems totally different for the moment, far more splendid and with some strange harmonies, the lyrics have twisted and changed a lot, but - blast I don't know the correct english technical term, in germany it's "aufbau" - the structure how the elements of the song are arranged is the same. And the short refrain seems simply to have been eliminated by a musician with bad memory.

It starts with "a frog went out to woe a mouse..." and the nonsense-phrase seem to origin in the stanza "far o'er the hills and bogs rode he" which repeats in all verses allthough it doesn't fit with the verses' texts. the irish tradition of singing "whack-a de liddy" and things like that seem to have killed this stanza by and by.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,cati
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 12:44 AM

I think this song is also on an old Burl Ives album.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 01:55 AM

Click for version of 1611

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From:
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 01:24 AM

I might have the most off the wall version of this song yet! Someone let me know if you've ever heard of this version...

Froggie went a courtin' and he did ride, rinktum bottomage a cambo (phonetically), sword and buckler by his side, rinktum bottomage a cambo, combalero down the cairo, combalero cairo, strattalata bobolata bobolinktum, rinktum bottomage a cambo???

I haven't heard this version in about 11 years as my grandfather used to sing it to me and had a stroke that left him unable to talk. He recently passed and I became interested in this versions origin, if anyone can help.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: alanabit
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 10:07 AM

It is a perfect children's song. It has unnatural sex, disgusting food and a bloody finale. I did a performance of it, with kindergarten kids acting it out last summer. It was a scream.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: EBarnacle
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 10:53 AM

Thanks for the 1611 version. I had always thought it referred to Andy Jackson and his efforts.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 11:58 AM

They don't get as far as unnatural sex!

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 12:25 PM

Sex is unnatural?

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 12:29 PM

Alanabit's words and if between frog and mouse, then would say it is.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 01:21 PM

Walt Kelly, in one of his Pogo books printed a version, plus he drew the swamp critters trying to perform it, with zaney results. His version included a chorus that included something about "Rowley, Prowley, Gammon and spinich; Hiho, says Anthony Rowley." The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem have a recorded version of a very similar song with somewhat the same chorus. I think theirs is called "Frog In A Well." It may be on a Christmas album of theirs.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 04:54 PM

The Johnsons have a really fun one.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 01:22 PM

Question for all out there. I remember a different version of this song but I have no idea where to find it for my son. I think it was "Peter Pan Paperbacks" and the book came with a record singing the song. "Foggie went a courtin' on a fine spring day, ah huh, ah huh". Any ideas?

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 09:06 PM

Pete Seeger sang the "Here's to Cheshire" version (it's in _Rise Up Singing_) & is, I think, responsible for adding the final stanza

That was the end of him and her --

Won't be no tadpoles covered in fur.

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: We console ourselves by giving good advice when we are too old to set a bad example. :||

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From:
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 10:11 PM

The song, "Froggie Went A-Courtin', has just been recorded by Bruce Springsteen. It will be on his "Pete Seeger Sessions" album when it is released in mid-April 2006.

For more info, go to http://www.backstreets.com

--Jeff

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,J C
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 09:22 AM

Best version I know was called 'The Frog's Wedding' sung by Annie Mackenzie of Boho, County Fermanagh in 1986.
It was included on the cassette 'Here Is A Health', issued by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,jim
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 10:28 AM

My dad used to sing the verse attributed to Pete Seeger by Joe F. I'm sure he didn't get it from Pete,'cause I introduced him to Pete's music when I was a teenager, but I recall hearing him sing this tune when I was a toddler.

The last two verses were:
    They paddled off across the lake,
    Rolly polly gamin and finnigan,
    Paddled off across the lake
    And got swallowed up by a big black snake
    Hey ho said Anthony Rawley.

    Now that was the end of him and her,
    Rolly polly gamin and finnigan,
    That was the end of him and her,
    Now we won't have tadpoles covered in fur
    And hey ho said Anthony Rawley.


This popped into my mind when Le Scaramouche said,"They don't get as far as unnatural sex! "

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 11:21 AM

Has anybody heard the Bob Dylan version? He recorded it on an album several years ago named "Good As I Been To You".

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 11:24 AM

Oops! My cookie crumbled! The comment about Dylan's recording was mine.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,to
Date: 26 Mar 06 - 10:49 AM

Im from Louisana and my uncle buzz busby sang it as a banjo tune like this: "froggy went a courtin he did ride, aw haw aw haw" "froggy went a courtin he did ride, aw haw aw haw" "froggy went a courtin he did ride, duelin pistols by his side" "froggy went a courtin he did ride, aw haw aw haw"
"He said miss mousy wont you marry me aw haw aw haw he said miss mousy wont you marry me aw haw aw haw. He said missy mousy wont you marry me and will go live under a big shade tree. Oh missy mousy wont you marry me aw haw aw haw"
It has a combo horse clippity clop rythum and banjo train rythum. I dont know if he every recorded it but it was popular with Grand Ole Opry banjo players in the 50's.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 26 Mar 06 - 12:25 PM

Recently going through some of my ancient LPs, I found a related but different song, Chow Willy, which I "Lyr-Add"ed HERE
.

While I sing Froggie Went a-Courtin' regularly, (in pretty close to the version mentioned by GUEST 10:49, above), I'm happily adding this song to my repertoire. Take a look. Durn shame I don't have a way to submit the tune.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,Anya
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 07:02 AM

Tim Hart and friends recorded a wonderful version of this on their 1983 collection called "Drunken Salior and other kids songs". It has a really catchy tune and different lyrics to those on this site. I think this might be the version that a previous poster was asking about:

Question for all out there. I remember a different version of this song but I have no idea where to find it for my son. I think it was "Peter Pan Paperbacks" and the book came with a record singing the song. "Foggie went a courtin' on a fine spring day, ah huh, ah huh". Any ideas?

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 09:26 PM

"Tell you what I'll do," his father said, "I'll sing you one song, and then you be a good boy and go on to sleep. Will you do that?" The child pressed his forehead upward against the strong warm hand and nodded.

"What'll we sing?" his father asked.

"Froggy would a wooin go," said the child; it was the longest.

"At's a long one," his father said, "at's a _long_ old song. You won't ever be awake that long, will you?"

He nodded.

"Ah _right_," said his father; and the child took a fresh hold on Jackie and settled back looking up at him. He sang very low and very quietly: Frog he would a wooin' go uh-hooooo! Frog he would a wooin' go uh-hooooo, uh-hoooooo, and all about the courting-clothes the frog wore, and about the difficulties and ultimate success of the courtship and what several of the neighbors said and who the preacher would be and what he said about the match, uhhoooo, and finally, what will the weddin supper be uhooooo, catfish balls and sassafras tea uh-hoooo, while he gazed at the wall and the child gazed up into his eyes which did not look at him and into the singing face in the dark. Every couple of verses or so the father glanced down, but the child's eyes were as darkly and steadfastly open at the end of the long song as at the beginning, though it was beginning to be an effort for him.

He was amused and pleased. Once he got started singing, he always loved to sing. There were ever so many of the old songs that he knew, which he liked best, and also some of the popular songs; and although he would have been embarrassed if he had been made conscious of it, he also enjoyed the sound of his own voice. "Ain't you asleep yet?" he said, but even the child felt there was no danger of his leaving, and shook his head quite frankly.

-- James Agee, _A Death in the Family_

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 27 Apr 06 - 10:10 AM

Fifty-some years ago, when I was a "new" folk-type singer with guitar, I'd go visit my brother and his family. (The "and his family" included what would in the end amount to ten kids.)

I had royal orders from the kids (however many there were at that point) to bring my guitar whenever I visited, and, my arm being easy to twist, I did so. And I'd sing to those kids (and sometimes to the adults too) for two and three hours at a time.

Now don't think I'm saying that it was all fresh songs for two and three hours running. The kids wanted certain songs over and over and over and over (etc., ad nauseam). Among those in-demand songs was our friend Froggie. It finally got to the point where I couldn't make myself sing Froggie any more, and it was that way for maybe forty years. Only of relatively recent times have I taken it back into my active repertoire, and I love it.

Incidentally, when on occasion I run into some of my brother's "kids", (who are now in their late 50s and early 60s, I guess), they'll talk about those old singing sessions, and it's always Froggie Went a-Courtin' that they remember fondly.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: bubblyrat
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 10:31 PM

Dear Banjo Johnny---YES !! That"s the version I know !! I think Burl Ives did it,among others. There is,of course, a British Naval song,which uses the "Froggy" tune,about a dying engineer who tells of how his wife can not be satisfied,& of the steam-powered machine he has built in order to solve this problem-----but we won"t go there !!!

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Mo the caller
Date: 22 Jan 07 - 03:52 AM

Rowley polley gammon and spinach
Hey ho said Antony Rowley

Wasn't Old Rowley a nickname for an English king? One of the Charleses? Google is no help here, but give a Midland village of Rowley Regis.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: Scrump
Date: 22 Jan 07 - 04:30 AM

Yes, Charles II was known as Old Rowley.

But I always thought it was simply "roly poly [pudding], gammon and spinach". I never knew who Anthony Rowley was, though.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 22 Jan 07 - 05:18 AM

I recommend versions of this song by Bascomb Lamar Lunsford, and the great Almeda Riddle.

Subject: RE: froggie went a courtin
From: GUEST, Os in Texas
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 12:02 PM

Here's an update on the "Froggy Central" website with over a hundred verses and lots of historical info and variation on the chorus

It's at Froggy Central - Froggy Went a Courtin'

or a shortcut URL - Trak to Froggy Central

This is an update to the link provided early in this thread by "Nathan in Texas" Date: 08 Jun 00 - 01:54 AM

Os.