Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss

Subject: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: wilco
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:18 AM

I've heard several songs with the verses:

D How old are you my pretty little miss, How old are you my my honey. D She said with a sweet tee-hee-hee A D I'll be sixteen next Sunday.

Where are you going my sweet little miss Where you going my honey. She said with a tee-hee-hee I'm gone to help my mummy.

Then, in various versions, the verses go everywhere to seductions, elopement, talking about going to the young girls home, etc. This sounds like a square dance tune, with many different versions. Where did it come from?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: JenEllen
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:26 AM

Here for starters? The discussion links may have more information. Personal favourite is a Clancy Bros recording I have of this (somewhere)...If I can hunt it up I'll post lyric variations. ~J

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: wilco
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:48 AM

Thank you. Is it Sottish or English or Irish? I'll add "Whaur are ye gaun, my bonnie wee lass?" to my repertoire. Unfortunately, I will butcher the pronunciation. That is a great fit in a historical context. Being able to do a "Americanized 18th version" with an older version. I do this like Peggy Seeger suggested, with requests for the kids to reply. I also do a song called "fly Around My pretty Little Miss." It is apparently a later square dance version of this too.

Fly around my pretty little miss, fly around my daisy, Fly around my pretty little miss, You almost drive me crazy.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:54 AM

I'm Seventeen Come Sunday (often Sixteen) generally speaking, though other songs on the same theme have similar beginnings. The version you quote from sounds like an Appalachian one; certainly Cecil Sharp noted one there with the te hee hee hee bit. It's been widespread most places where English is spoken, but would be English or Scottish in origin.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: Alice
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:57 AM

There are lots of variants of this song in different countries. Look up AS I ROVED OUT and THE TROOPER AND THE MAID in the database. The tune in the database here for AS I ROVED OUT is different than the one recorded by the Clancy Brothers. For that sound clip, check it out at CDNOW, Clancy Brothers, album Irish Folk Songs, track 13 As I Roved Out.click

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 11:05 AM

Strictly speaking, The Trooper and the Maid (As I Roved Out in some forms, though a lot of unrelated songs share that title!)is a different song-group, though a similar story. It's an easy mistake to make, and I've made it myself in the past; somewhere round here, I think.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: Alice
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 11:10 AM

CDNOW labled that album wrong! I linked to the song title and then scanned the list of titles, immediately recognizing it is the recording of Irish folk songs by Davy Hammond, definitely not the Clancy Brothers.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: nutty
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 05:20 PM

The Bodleian has this version printed circa 1860

Seventeen come Sunday

Subject: RE: Tune Req: How old are you my pretty little miss
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 05:49 PM

Here's the first two verses and chorus of my dad's version:

Where are you goin my pretty little miss,
Where are you goin my daisy?
O, if I don't get me a young man soon
I think I'm a-goin crazy.
Hi rinktum-a-dinktum-a-diddle diddle dum,
Hi rinktum-a-dincktum-a-doody;
Hi rinktum-a-dinktum-a-diddle diddle dum,
Hi rinctum-a-dinktum-a-doody.

How old are you my pretty little miss,
How old are you my honey?
Well if I don't die of a broken heart,
I'll be sixteen next Sunday.