Mary Ann Willson

Subject: Mary Ann Willson
From: S. Hollander
Date: 21 Mar 98 - 11:02 PM

A watercolor painting by Mary Ann Willson c. 1800-1820 contains the lines: I neither want your ring nor money/I want a lad will call me honey/There's a ring cost many a shilling/That you may have, if you are willing.

Does anyone recognize these lines?

Subject: RE: Mary Ann Willson
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 05 - 12:14 PM

It's a mighty old apalachian folk song. I heard it on an album, Susan Reed's "Songs for the Wee Folk", on Elecktra Records circa 1960's. I know every song on it.

Courting Song

[man]
Madam, I have come a-courtin'
Yo-oh-oh-oh-oh um-oo-ee
Not for pleasure nor for sportin'
Yo-oh-oh-oh-oh um-oo-ee

[woman]
Yes, I know you've come a-courtin'
Rinktum ringtum-a-daddy-oh
If you come I'll go for certain
Rinktum ringtum-a-daddy-oh

[man]
Here's a ring worth forty shillings
Yo-oh-oh-oh-oh um-oo-ee
You may have if you are willing
for to marry, marry me

[woman]
What care I for your rings or money?
Rinktum ringtum-a-daddy-oh
I want a man who'll call me "honey"
Rinktum ringtum-a-daddy-oh

Yo-oh-oh-oh-oh um-oo-ee

Subject: RE: Mary Ann Willson
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 05 - 12:17 PM

Ah,

It was issued in 1958, according to the Elektra website. Never heard the song anywhere else. And this reply, alas, is seven years after you've posted the question, so you've probably got the answer already by now.

--LZ

Subject: RE: Mary Ann Willson
From: Peace
Date: 20 May 05 - 01:27 PM

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cowellbib:@field(NUMBER+@band(afccc+a3815a3+a3815a4))

I can't listen. Any relation to this?