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22 Jan 07 - 12:45 AM (#1943935) Subject: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: GUEST,Cherene My Grandfather sang a great song that none of us can remember all of the lyrics to. I have part of the song, can you help me find the lyrics to the rest of it? Oh Possum in a 'simmon tree, a lookin down, way down on me Fast by de tail that critter hung, and to himself, did sing this song Oh Masta sent me to da spring To get some water mid a sling, My foot slipped out and I slid in And I crawled out and begin to sing.. Oh I jus come from da white folks house sing song Polly want a kimee O a something in a bucket of souce sing song Polly want a kimee O Oh, Keemo Kimo Va you da, sing song Polly want a Kimee O I Put some pepper in my Dad's snuff box, Sing song Polly want a Kimee O a rump a thump arupma thumpa sing song Polly want a Kimee O |
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22 Jan 07 - 01:52 AM (#1943960) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Bert Here's something in DT. |
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22 Jan 07 - 02:05 AM (#1943966) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Joe Offer Interesting version you have there, Cherene. The "Keemo Kimo" I know, is a version of "Froggy Went A-Courting." This is a different song, but with that same "Keemo Kimo" chorus. Seems like there's a real tradition of singing about possums in persimmon trees. Here's an excerpt from a version of "Bile Them Cabbage Down":
Racoon on the ground Racoon says to the possum Shake them 'simmons down -Joe- Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index: Kemo KimoDESCRIPTION: Non-ballad. Some texts have brief stories (e.g. about "darkies" ten feet tall and too big for their beds), but the basic characteristic is the nonsense refrain pattern: sing song kitty kitchie kimeo / kemo kimo, Delaware, me hi me ho and in comes Sally...AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1854 (Christy & Wood, _New Song Book_) KEYWORDS: nonballad nonsense animal FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,SE,So) Canada(Mar) REFERENCES (15 citations): Randolph 282, "There Was an Old Frog" (2 texts plus an excerpt and a fragment, 2 tunes) Randolph/Cohen, pp. 239-241, "There Was an Old Frog" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 282A) Belden, pp. 494-499, "The Frog's Courtship" (7 texts in 3 groups, 2 tunes; several of the texts are short, and IB at least appears to be "Kemo Kimo") BrownIII 120, "The Frog's Courtship" (3 texts in the appendix to this song) Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 244-248, "The Frog He Went A-Courting" (3 texts; the third, with local title "The Gentleman Frog" and tune on pp. 420-421, is probably this piece the first two texts are "Frog Went A-Courting") Scarborough-NegroFS, pp. 156-157, "Cree-Mo-Cri-Mo-Dorro-Wah" (1 text plus a fragent, 1 tune); also p. 201 (no title) (1 fragment); also p. 285, "Keemo Kimo" (1 text, the Christy/Wood version) Brewster 78, "Keemo-Kimo" (3 fragments) Eddy 45, "The Opossum" (2 fragments, 2 tunes) Linscott, pp. 204-206, "Frog in the Well" (1 text, 1 tune) Creighton-Maritime, pp. 132-133, "Frog in the Well"; p. 135, "Get to Bed" (2 texts, 2 tunes) Creighton-SNewBrunswick 84, "Kitty Alone and I" (1 text, 1 tune) Warner 68, "The Bull Frog" (1 text, 1 tune) Baring-Gould-MotherGoose #69, pp. 77-79, "(There was a frog liv'd in a well)" (a complex composite with a short version of "Frog Went A-Courting" plus enough auxiliary verses to make an almost complete "Kemo Kimo" text) Gilbert, p. 42, "Polly Won't You Try Me O" (1 fragmentary text) DT, FRGCORT3* KEMOKIMO PUDDYWL2 Roud #16 RECORDINGS: Lawrence Older, "Frog in the Spring" (on LOlder01) Prairie Ramblers, "Beaver Creek" (c. 1935; on CrowTold02) CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "The Carrion Crow/A Kangaroo Sat on an Oak" cf. "Raccoon" (floating lyrics) cf. "Frog Went A-Courting" (floating lyrics, theme) |
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22 Jan 07 - 12:37 PM (#1944430) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Q (Frank Staplin) Cherene, where was your grandfather from? New version to me. Many 'possum tales and verses. Hard to find the verses (and threads) at Mudcat because verses floated from song to song. Joe, I don't believe "Possum sop and polecat jelly" has been posted yet. (Listed in Traditional Ballads Index) May have info- 31041- Carve that possum possum . 69650- 'Possum up a gum stump possum |
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23 Jan 07 - 03:15 AM (#1945157) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Joe Offer Eddy's Ballads and Songs from Ohio has two songs of this ilk under the title "The Opossum" - but neither song makes mention of a possum in the lyrics (both appear to be fragments, not complete songs). Still, it seemed strange to me. Q, you have the Eddy book, I think - can you find a possum in either song? -Joe- |
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23 Jan 07 - 08:51 PM (#1946152) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Joe_F Possum up a simmon tree, Raccoon the the ground. Raccoon said, "Mr Possum, Won't you shake one simmon down?" -- "Uncle Reuben Got a Coon" |
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23 Jan 07 - 09:16 PM (#1946161) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Richie Hi Cherene This is a version of Keemo Kimo called Sing Song Kitty. I'm including Doc Watson's lyrics from an on-line site for comparison. Your lyrics seem to be old. There are some pre- Civil war references. I doubt there will be any exact version found like yours. Is it possible to get all the lyrics? Sing Song Kitty Way down yonder and not far off Sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Jaybird died with a whoopin' cough sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh He mo heimo beetlebug jingo Mehe my ho pretty petimingo Ram tom a doodlesnake rang tang a rattlebug sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Way down yonder on beaver creek sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh The gals all grow to be six feet sing song kitty kitchree cry me oh Hemo highmo beetlebug jingo Me he my ho pretty penimingo Ram tom a doodlesnake rang tang a rattlebug sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Now our cow won't give milk in the summer sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh So we got to take it from her sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Hemo highmo beetlebug jingo Me he my ho pretty penimingo rib tap a prettypat a blue eyed pussycat sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Mama's in the garden sifting sand sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Sally's in love with a hog eyed man sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Hemo highmo beetlebug jingo Me he my ho pretty penimingo rib tap a prettypat a blue eyed pussycat sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Cabbage in the garden peas in the sump(?) sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Sally won't you come and smooch me some sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh Hemo highmo beetlebug jingo Me he my ho pretty penimingo rib tap a prettypat a blue eyed pussycat sing song kitty kitchee cry me oh |
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23 Jan 07 - 10:37 PM (#1946198) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Q (Frank Staplin) Eddy book- no, no possum- (or 'possum or opossum) in "The Opossum. The song posted by Cherene seems to come from a minstrel version. Does anyone have the Christy and Wood 1854 minstrel version? A fragment ("Kemo, Kimo") was put on a song sheet by Doyle (at American Memory). "Possum up a gum tree" was used in "Zip Coon" in 1834; I think every possible variation got used in some song or another. |
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24 Nov 11 - 09:17 PM (#3263040) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: GUEST,Cherene My Grandfather was from Indiana originally but they traveled West to Oregon in 1918 1919. He might have picked it up from his Father and hte lyrics may have changed over the years. |
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25 Nov 11 - 07:22 PM (#3263567) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Joe_F The possum is also up a simmon tree in Uncle Reuben Got a Coon |
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28 Nov 11 - 08:35 AM (#3264731) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: Snuffy And it's up a "cinnamon" tree in Old Bob Ridley |
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11 Jan 14 - 03:10 PM (#3591099) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: GUEST My family sang a completely different version. Ours went like this: Hells my scales, my dear old my, I go back to ruminickel puminickel in come in a nicky cat sing a song of pappa doodle juice harp mo. This is a version from Eastern TN and was passed down from many generations. |
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21 Nov 14 - 11:57 AM (#3678978) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: GUEST My dad used to sing a version of this also...Although we live in Arkansas I think the song came with his great granddad from East Tenn. If you remember in Sgt. York, the movie, there is a guy riding a mule or jack singing Kingbo Nero Captain Kingbo. I have looked trying to find info on that movie song but have failed to find anything. I'm pretty sure it's a hills folks song...My ancestors came from Blount Co., Tenn. |
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13 Dec 15 - 06:58 PM (#3758215) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: GUEST,Nettie My Grandmother, who was born in 1903, used to sing the following version her mother taught her. This song must therefore date from no later than the 19th century. Her mother's family was from Virginia. It features a word that is sensitive to many people today, so I have partially obscured it. A 'possum in a 'simmon tree, a raccoon on the ground. Raccoon asked the 'possum to pass them 'simmons down. A mushroom-colored n****r gal a'sittin on a stump. She shot the 'possum on the tail, and you should'a seen him jump! Oh, chillen come along, come along, Oh, chillen come along, I'll meet you in the early morn! |
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14 Dec 15 - 09:38 AM (#3758325) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Keemo Kimo/Possum in a Simmon Tree From: mayomick Old Blue bayed, and I went to see Blue had a possum in a 'simmon tree Come on, Blue You good dog, you That possum come out on a swinging limb Blue barked at the possum, possum growled at him Come on, Blue You good dog, you |