Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek

Subject: Lyr Add: WAY DOWN YONDER ON BEAVER'S CREEK
From: Boo Bear
Date: 05 Oct 98 - 06:54 PM

All right, all you extra-smart folks out there, I've got another one for you. A friend of mine taught me a song of the title named above, but she only knew two verses. Anybody know more verses? Here's the song as I've learned it from her:

1) Way down yonder on Beaver's Creek
Keemo kitty won't you kymeeo
Darkies* there grow to be ten feet
Keemo kitty won't you kymeeo

CHORUS: Keemo kymo zero are
M'hee, m'hy, m'humdrum pennywinkle
Pit-pat pitty pat, blue-eyed pussycat
Singsong kitty won't you kymeeo.

2) I go to bed, but it ain't no use
Keemo kitty won't you kymeeo
My feet stick out for the chickens to roost
Keemo kitty won't you kymeeo

(*We prefer to substitute "people there grow..." for obvious reasons.)

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

Subject: Lyr Add: SING SONG KITTY
From: Gene
Date: 06 Oct 98 - 12:29 AM

Doc Watson's recording of SING SONG KITTY
Doc Watson-Home Again/Vanguard VSD-79239 believed to originally called: Beaver Creek
keeps this old tune alive

I recall an additional verse:
And a different chorus

My old dog went out to get a bone
Sing song kitty, won't you cry me-ow?
He saw me and I ran home
Sing song kitty, won't you cry me-ow?

Chorus:
Tee-me, tye-me, beetie bug jingle
Me-He, My-Ho, pretty pretty winkle
Tit-tat pitty pat, blue-eyed pussycat
Sing song kitty, won't you cry me-ow?

* GO HERE *
To listen to a recording

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 12:26 AM

This song does belong to an interesting family. As Gene says, it is also known by the title SING SONG KITTY as done by Doc Watson (probably the most accessible recorded version) I used to have a version under the BEAVER CREEK name by the Prairie Ramblers on a Patsy Montana album. Another version is entitled KING KONG KITCHIE KITCHIE KI-ME-O by Chubby Parker on the Anthology of American Folk Music, accessible, but expensive. (Definitely recommended, though) Friends of mine sing a song they call FROG IN THE WELL which is at least partially the same, especially the nonsense part. At the conclusion, they jump into a three part round. Their version is in turn related to the Irish Frog in the Well. I don't have their version handy at the moment, and I am a bit leery of even attempting to put those nonsense syllables into letters on a page! I will look for it, though. How close BEAVER CREEK is to FROG IN THE WELL remains to be seen, but there are certainly links from one to the other.

The notes to the Anthology list these references, which I will copy and paste, leaving the reader to interpret!

other recorded versions include:

Traditional American Folk:
As FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'
Bradley Kincaid (GEN 6462b)
Pleaz Mobey (LC AFSL12a)
John Jacob Niles (DSC 6015b, FW 2373c, Gifthorse 10008c)
Otis High and Flarrie Griffin (FW 34151c)
Almeda Riddle (MNS 203a)
Jean Ritchie (CLR 1201a)
Robert Russell (BRI 002a)
Doc Watson (VG 45/46c,SGH 3786c, VG 73121c, VG 79239c))
As FROG WENT A-WOOIN'
Gail Stoddard Storm (NW 239a).

Folksong revival:
As KING KONG KITCHIE KITCHIE KI-ME-O
Ed Badeaux (FW 3534c)
Dick Lourie (FW 7557c)
as FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'
George and Gerry Armstrong (FW 2335c)
The Beechmonts (TRE 883a)
The Dildine Family (Front Hall 02a)
Richard Dyer-Bennet (DYB 6000c)
Bob Dylan (COL 53200c)
Woody Guthrie (ST 54a SF 40103c)
Sam Hinton (FW 7530c)
Cisco Houston (FW 7606c)
Burl Ives (COL 33183a)
Spider John Koerner (RDH 12c)
John McCutcheon (JA 003a)
Alan Mills (FW 7642c)
Jim Nollman (SF 45037d, FW 6118c)
Mike and Peggy Seeger (RND 8001/3c))
As FROG WENT A WOOIN' GO
Jim Douglas (FW 32319c)
Alan Mills (FW 7677c)
Barbara Moncure (FW 5311c)
As THE FROG AND THE MOUSE
Richard Dyer-Bennet (ST 2a)
as HERE'S TO CHESIRE, HERE'S TO CHEESE
Pete Seeger (COL 1947a).

Post revival:
Bill Hinkley (RDH 15c).

Country/String Band:
As FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'
Tex Ritter (SHS 520a)
Morgan Sexton (JA 0055c).

Rock:
As FROG WENT A-COURTIN'
Flat Duo Jets (Skyclad 5031c).

Irish:
As FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'
The Johnstons (Sequel 1016c).

Scottish:
As FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'
Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger (ARG 73a, RVR 12-637a)
Robin Williamson (FF 438c).

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 21-Jul-02.

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 07:34 PM

I don't know why I did not think of this before, I even have the sheet music for it bookmarked. Go to the Levy site, enter Keemo Kimo in the search box.

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/bibliosearch.html

This should return five documents, with two broken. There is a Keemo Kimo Schottisch composed by James Bellak, 1854, and a version arranged for the cotillion, but the one you want is entitled Keemo, Kimo! The Celebrated Banjo Song, Arranged for the Piano Forte. This version includes the words.

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 07:43 PM

The Keemo Kimo Schottisch was dedicated to Wyman the Wizard, with a large picture of him. Curiosity got the better of me, so I looked him up. Info at:

http://www.uelectric.com/pastimes/wyman.htm

No extra charge.

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 11:27 PM

Looks like I am doing a monologue here, but I keep tripping over this stuff, so here I am again!

Besmark has a 35 second sound file of Keemo Kimo by Harry C. Browne and the Peerless Quartet at:

Keemo Kimo

This version is closest to what my friends sing.

Lots of good stuff at Besmark. Go here for their site of Old Time Victrola Music on Cassette.

Besmark

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: Dale Rose
Date: 09 Jun 00 - 11:41 AM

The links from Besmark need updating, the ones I gave above are no longer correct. Their front door is now just besmark.com The clip of Keemo Kimo is located at http://www.besmark.com/blue2-19.ram and is from a set of two tapes which they have labeled as the Origins of Bluegrass Music http://www.besmark.com/bluegrs.html I keep meaning to send an order off to them, because there is much of value there, but keep putting it off.

Also, it looks like Gene's link to the Doc Watson version is not there at the moment, but maybe he could be persuaded to put it back up.

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 09 Jun 00 - 02:25 PM

A little late, perhaps, but also check the Lyrics Add I posted with Ed McCurdy's version, it has the verse you asked about in the original posting.

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From:
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 07:17 AM

I am looking for a song maybe related to this one. A story song about a "bull frog" and the whole town that go down to the corner store. The chorus goes like this:
Way down yonder on the Yankety-yank
a bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
Just because he'd nothing better for to do.
Stubbed his toe and he fell in the water
You could hear him holler for a mile and a quarter
Just because he'd nothing better for to do.

Sounds like it could have been adapted from the earlier "darky" language, however this whole story has the theme of everyone (even down to the trees) cramming into the corner store, then the bull frog is left alone and he just puffs up and explodes. My dad sang it and probably learned it w/guitar in the early '50s from Pappy Shaw's square dance school in CO, or Berea KY college summer.

Thanks for any help!
Julie

Subject: RE: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Ellen
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 11:14 AM

"The Foolish Frog" was told to Pete Seeger by his father, according to PETE SEEGER'S STORYTELLING BOOK by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs, Harcourt, Inc. copyright 2000. I'm looking for the tune.
Shalom,
Ellen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Sharon oehler
Date: 28 Feb 05 - 04:52 PM

Way down yonder in the Piankatank
A bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
He skinned his leg from shank to shank
Way down yonder in the Piankatank

The Piankatank is a river in Virginia that runs to the Cheasepeake Bay
Song a legend in those parts

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Feb 05 - 06:06 PM

Also known as "Way down yonder in the yankity yank," from a story, The Foolish Frog, by Pete Seeger.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Don Farrar
Date: 13 Jul 05 - 09:20 AM

Thank you everyone for this thread. Here is the version I learned from my dad in the '40's. He obviously learned it when he was going to school in a small Kansas town in the 20's.

'Way down yonder on Beaver Creek
Sing song kitty cantcha ki me oh
Darkies grow to be ten feet
Sing song kitty cantcha ki me oh
CHORUS:
Kee mo Ki mo Dee ro art
Me hee, Me hi, Me hum-drum pennywinkle
Tit tat pitty pat, blue-eyed "poosy" cat
Sing song kitty cantcha ki me oh.

Then, a few years later, I learned ANOTHER version of the Chorus from the traveling music teacher who came to my elementary school about once a week or so (this was also in the 40's):

Ki mo kairo, dearie-oh mah-ware
Me hi, Me hee, Me instep Sally Sinkle
Sometimes pennywinkle
Instep step back
Hit 'im with a brickbat
Sing-song kitty cantcha Ki me oh.

Would live to hear from anyone who remembers these versions.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Megan L.
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 05:08 PM

My Grandfather (born around the 1920's in Oaklahoma) sings a song similar to this. His goes something like...

Way down yonder and not far off,
A jay bird died of the whoopin cough.
Sing song kitty cancha kime-e-o.
Me-he my ho pretty petimingo

A way down yonder in the holler
Not to far if you want to foller
Theres a possum sittin in a simmon tree
And a raccoon sittin on the ground
Raccoon said you son of a gun
Shake them simmons down.

I have no idea where he learned this song, but its one that he's sung to us grandkids and now the the great-grandkids for years. I've always loved it...interesting to read all of this info!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Guest, Regina Saskatchewan Canada
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 07:30 PM

The best I can find on Keemo Kimo currently is at
The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Rolly Schicker,guest, Chardon, Ohio
Date: 25 Jul 08 - 11:54 PM

I learned this song in 8th grade glee club.(1943 or so)
The chorus is the same, but we learned several more verses following the first one...."way down yonder,etc."

"they go to bed, but it ain't no use.
sing song kitty can't you ki meo.
Feet stick out for the chickens to roost.
sing song kitty can't you ki meo.

Chorus>

Our cow won't give milk in summer.
sing song kitty can't you ki meo
So we have to take it from her.
sing song kitty can' you ki meo.

There are probably more, but that's all I can remember.

I am trying to find another song we sang back then about 4 mosquitos,
"Zingywing,and zangywing and zungywing and zoon,
pesky young mosquitos, 'neath summer moon. etc.

Anyone remember that one?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Rolly Schicker
Date: 25 Jul 08 - 11:59 PM

I forgot to mention in my reply earlier, if anyone remembers the mosquito lyric, please e-mail me at:

[e-mail]

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,GUEST, James Barker
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 07:15 AM

Regarding the Piankatank River, Virginia, version, I heard it as, " 'way down yonder, on the Piankatank, a bullfrog jumped from bank to bank, 'cause there wasn't nothing better for to do. Well, he stubbed his toe and he fell into the water and you could have heard the splash for a mile and a quarter if there wasn't nothing better for to do."

This was (a folksong?) sung by a man on a record played for us by our music teacher in public school, late 1950s-early 1960s. I wish I could remember the artist's and album's names.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 15 - 11:18 PM

My Dad's version, (Born Oklahoma 1930)

There was a frog lived in a stream
sing song kitty catch a ki me o

He was so fat the he could not swim
Sing song kitty catch a Ki me p

Ke meo me ki meo me dreary o me way
Me hi, me ho, me in come sally sinkle
some time penny winkle
in step muskrat
bigger then a big cat

Sing song kitty catch a ki me o