Lyr Add: Chow Willy

Subject: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 02:56 PM

A different Froggie-Courting song than the one everyone knows. And it's not in the DT

CHOW WILLY
Froggie went a courtin', he did ride
Chow Willy, chow Willy
Froggie went a courtin', he did ride
Chow Willy Wee
Froggie went a courtin', he did ride
A sword and pistol by his side
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

Pretty little man with stripe-ed knee
Chow Willy, chow Willy
Pretty little man with stripe-ed knee
Chow Willy Wee
Pretty little man with stripe-ed knee
With his eyes bugged out so he can see
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

To the little lady mouse, said he
Chow Willy, chow Willy
To the little lady mouse, said he
Chow Willy Wee
To the little lady mouse, said he
"Oh Mistress Mouse, will you marry me?"
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

"Someone else has been here since you've gone!"
Chow Willy, chow Willy
"Someone else has been here since you've gone!"
Chow Willy Wee
"Someone else has been here since you've gone!
"It was Mr. Rat, with his new boots on!"
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

Rat, he went a swimmin' 'cross the lake
Chow Willy, chow Willy
Rat, he went a swimmin' 'cross the lake
Chow Willy Wee
Rat, he went a swimmin' 'cross the lake
Pretty soon he was swallowed by a big black snake
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

"Froggie, will you buy me a wedding gown?"
Chow Willy, chow Willy
"Froggie, will you buy me a wedding gown?"
Chow Willy Wee
"Froggie, will you buy me a wedding gown?
"And we'll invite everyone in town!"
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

Comin' to the wedding, Big Tom Cat
Meow Willy, Meow Willy
Comin' to the wedding, Big Tom Cat
Meow Willy Wee
Comin' to the wedding, Big Tom Cat
Ate frog and mouse and that was that!
Rink Tum a Riddle Umma Rink Tum a Ree
Chow Willy Wee

Learned from Marais and Miranda,
Ballads of Long Ago
12 inch LP
Columbia Masterworks ML4894
No copyright notice or date, but purchased middle 1950's

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Anglo
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 11:28 AM

I believe this in one of the versions collected by Cecil Sharp in the Appalachians. I heard Dick Lewis, of Portland OR, sing it at Pinewoods Folk Music Week a good many years ago. Jeff Warner sings it too, as I recall; so do I (a slightly different set of verses, though).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 11:51 AM

I think this is one of the many Froggy songs that Bev and Jerry sing. They can entertain you all night with versions of this song. One might think they have a frog fetish....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 01:43 AM

Google says "Chow Willy" was recorded by Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford (in 1952, I found elsewhere). I was sure it couldn't be the same song, but Amazon has a sound clip that proves that it was. On this page, Jo Stafford said she didn't want to record the song, but Mitch Miller made her do it.
Apparently, Marais and Miranda recorded the song, also.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Anglo
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:21 AM

My god, Joe, how in heaven's name did you find that?! Jo Stafford is great, but I'm not sure that was her finest moment.

But it's almost the same song - a rewrite, anyway.

I may never sing it again.

Every once in a while I look out for a Jonathan and Darlene Edwards CD, but I see, indeed, I can now get _two_ from Amazon, with hardly any effort. (Will I buy one?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:27 AM

Anglo, how long can you last without "Tim-tay-shun"?
Want me to call and sing it to you?????
"Yew werrrre tim-TAYYYYY-shun!!!"
No, huh?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Anglo
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:33 AM

Well, sorry, I couldn't find it among those sound clips. I always loved the Everly Brothers doing that one though.

And I just saw, according to an Amazon review, that Chow Willy made the top 30 in the US charts in the early 50s! Wow. (Must have been the early folk revival started by the Weavers...)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 03:05 AM

My recollection is that Ed McCurdy's recording on the Elektra American folk box was similar - it definitely had 'chow Willie'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: GUEST,Daphne Anderson
Date: 30 Jan 11 - 05:58 PM

Cindy Kallet sings this on "Leave the Cake in the Mailbox" and it leaves me wondering why I never heard it before, I liked it so much. Cindy does a great house concert, by the way. I wish she and Gray would come back to Pittsburgh.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 07:50 PM

Allmusic.com says CHOW WILLY was written by Josef Marais and recorded by Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford (as a duet).

Here's what I transcribed from a sample:

Borrow me a horse and away I ride
Chow Willy, chow Willy
Borrow me a whip and a saddle of hide
Chow Willy wee
Borrow me a whip and a saddle of hide
And I'm gonna make a red-head gal my bride
Rick tum a riddle umma rick tum a ree
Chow Willy wee

Someone else has been here since you've gone
Chow Willy, chow Willy
Stranger in the town and his name is john
Chow Willy wee
Stranger....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chow Willy
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 11:29 PM

It's possible that Josef Marais added some verses and took out a copyright, but...

From -- English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians Collected by Cecil J. Sharp (Maud Karpeles, Ed., Oxford University Press, 1932), which has 11 versions (not including The Frog in the Well which appears separately with 4 versions).

No. 220 A Frog He Went A-courting
(version) C
Sung by Miss May Ray
at Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Claiborne Co., Kentucky, April 29, 1917

A frog he went a-courting he did ride,
Chow Willie, chow wee;
A frog he went a-courting, he did ride,
Chow Willie wee.
A frog he went a-courting, he did ride,
with a pistol and sword hung by his side.
Rig tum a riddle lum a rig tum a ree,
Chow Willie wee.

He rode till he came to Miss Mousie's house,
Saying: Miss Mousie, are you within?

Yes, kind sir, I am within,
Sitting at my spinning-wheel.

He took Miss Mousie upon his knee,
Saying: Miss Mousie, will you marry me?

O kind sir, I can't say that
Until I see my Uncle Rat.

The old rat ran up the wall
Says: The devil is among you all.

He ran down the other side,
Saying: Miss Mousie may be your bride.

Uncle Rat he went to town
To buy Miss Mousie a wedding-gown.

Where will the wedding supper be?
Away down yonder in the hollow bush tree.

What will the wedding supper be?
A piece of pie and a black-eyed pea.

The first came in was a little bug,
He sat down upon a jug.

The next came in was an old grey cat,
He made his supper on Uncle Rat.

X:1
T:A Frog He Went A-courting
C:Trad.
S:English Folk-Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Collected by Cecil J. Sharp, M. Karpeles, Ed.
O: version C, Miss May Ray, Lincoln Mem. Univ., Harrogate, Claiborne Co., Ky, April 29, 1917
M:4/4
K:G
G | G G G G A2 A2 | G2 G2 d4 |
w: A frog he went a-court-ing, he did ride,
c4 A A3 | c4 =F3 F |
w: Chow Wil-lie, chow wee; A
G G G G A2 A2 | G2 G2 d4 |
w: frog he went a-court-ing, he did ride,
c4 e e3 | d6 d |
w: Chow Wil-lie wee. A
=f f f f d2 c2 | d2 e2 d3 c/2 c/2 |
w: frog he went a-court-ing, he did ride, with a
d2 d d d2 c2 | A2 G2 =F4 |
w: pis-tol and sword hung by his side.
G2 G G A A A A | G2 G G d4 |
w: Rig tum a rid-dle lum a rig tum a ree,
c4 A A3 | G6 z |
w: Chow Wil-lie wee.

(Plug the abc above into the box here at abcconvert to get the dots or a midi.)

I learned this from Jeff Warner and Anglo; I'm surprised I didn't transcribe it last time this thread came up.

~ Becky in Tucson