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10 Oct 00 - 08:18 PM (#315868) Subject: The Frog's Wedding ^^ From: Alice I added this on a thread with a different title, so here it is on its own. The following is as printed in Mary O'Hara's book, "A Song For Ireland". She recorded the song with slightly different lyrics.
THE FROG'S WEDDING
There was a frog lived in the well,
The frog he said I
Where will the wedding be
Now we're all in very good cheer
In came the bumble bee
Now we're all in very good cheer,
In came the butterfly
Then commenced a terrible din
The cat took poor mister rat by the head,
Frog jumped up with a terrible fright
As the frog was crossin' the stream
From Mary O'Hara's book of lyrics an photos of Ireland, "A Song For Ireland", © 1982, published by Michael Joseph Limited, London. Recorded with the title, The Frog Song.
This song has a different tune than all the other frog courting songs I've heard. In Mary O'Hara's recording, it sounds like she ends the chorus "Me piper and me Roly" instead of "And hi! for Anthony Roly".
Mary O'Hara writes that she learned this Irish version from Liam Clancy. In a series of school recitals for the Music Association of Ireland, she would sing this song, demonstrating the diverse sounds made by the harp, such as the fluttering of the butterfly wings. In trying it out before the recitals on an audience of four children, she explained that it was about a mixed marriage of a bride and groom who met disaster on their wedding day. Little eight year old Ruth looked up with a tearful expression and said, "Oh, Mary, they never were meant for each other." Alice Flynn ^^ |
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10 Oct 00 - 08:33 PM (#315878) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: SINSULL Alice, I've never heard it. Would you do it on Hearme one night? My first reaction is "Oh Dear". Poor Froggie. |
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10 Oct 00 - 08:40 PM (#315881) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Alice I cannot get onto HearMe, sorry. I have a Mac (not allowed). |
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10 Oct 00 - 09:14 PM (#315892) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: The Lighthouse There is an American version of this song called "Froggie Went A- Courtin". Bob Dylan actually recorded this song under that title on his CD "Good As I Been To You". "Frog's Wedding" is aso known as "Frog in the Well". A recording by Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy is on their CD "We've Come A Long Way". |
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10 Oct 00 - 11:15 PM (#315997) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Alice A forum search will produce lots of versions of the frog courting/wedding, miss mouse, etc., songs, including the current thread about the day Mudcat was down and some of us worked on ponds... which led to thread creep into the subject of frogs. There was a specific request for these lyrics in the Haigh didil dum thread, and I had forgotten to post the lyrics on their own to be added to the DT. |
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11 Oct 00 - 11:12 AM (#316247) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Uncle_DaveO I have known this refrain as "Roly Poly, gammon and spinach", gammon being bacon. DAve Oesterreich |
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11 Oct 00 - 11:57 AM (#316287) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: SINSULL This is the only one I have heard of where the bride gets eaten. Reminds me: DaveO, do you know "Those Wedding Bells Must Not Ring Out"? He stabs the bride in the church. Definitely your kind of song. Lots of over the top theatrics. Really wonderful. |
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11 Oct 00 - 12:05 PM (#316293) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Alice This is from Mary O'Hara's autobiography, "The Scent Of The Roses". A native of Sligo, she was married to Richard Selig, a young American poet, who died during the time she made her Tradition label record. It was the 1950's. ---------
"Like my first Decca long playing record, it was destined to be released in the UK, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and Europe and became part of the sixties folk boom. But all that was in the future.
In those days the Clancy Brothers had not yet become famous. They had started their own record company: "Tradition" and wanted me to make a long playing record for them. But being under contract to Decca, whose records in the USA were issued under the "London" label, I felt I could not do so. But when they persisted, Richard approached Decca and persuaded them to allow me to make the one album for Tradition. By the time I came to make this record 'Songs of Ireland' Richard had been dead a few weeks. I intended it to be my last album, as my interest in singing had died with him.
But I anticipate. That summer Paddy Clancy told us that Al Grossman was very intersted in my work and wished to get in touch with me. Grossman was later to become wealthy as Bob Dylan's manager. Now he approached me with the offer of a season at the Gate of Horn in Chicago, soon to become a starting point for people like Odetta et al... At first this offer seemed like a good idea... However, to leave Richard alone in New York and go off by myself to Chicago was out of the question. The fee for the engagement was not enough to keep us both, so that was the end of the Gate of Horn."
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"I think some of my best arrangements were done during those sad days. It is said that suffering is creative. I have often found this to be true in my own life. Richard was to have written the sleeve notes for the Tradition album when he came out of hospital. I wanted the album to start off with Richard reading the poem by W.B. Yeats:
But this was not to be. Eventually the poem appeared on the front cover of the album which came to be named "Songs of Ireland". Liam Clancy wrote the sleeve notes. Joan Baez has told me that she and her mother have been moved to tears listening to one of the songs on that album. It is Thomas Moore's poem "Farewell But Whenever", also called "The Scent of the Roses", from which this book gets its title. I was working on the song and writing the harp accompaniment for it during the days when Richard was dying."
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"'There Was A Frog Lived In The Well' has been passed down through several generations of the Clancy family. I thought it was a family posession until we first got a radio and I heard Burl Ives sing 'Frog Went A'Courtin'. I was amazed that someone else knew my mother's song. He didn't have my favorite verse, though: 'The big duck came and gobobboled him up'." - Liam Clancy
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Her records have been re-released on CD's and you can order them though Mudcat's link to CD Now. Alice Flynn
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11 Oct 00 - 02:15 PM (#316380) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Uncle_DaveO Sinsull: No, never heard of it. Do you know where I can lay hold of it? Dave Oesterreich |
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11 Oct 00 - 03:32 PM (#316447) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,Bruce O. The poem by W. B. Yeats noted in Alice's posting above is not entirely original with Yeats. Here is a piece from R. H. Robbins, 'Secular Lyrics', #15, a 14th century fragment from Bodleian MS Rawl. D. 913.]
Ich am of Irlaunde,
Gode sire, pray ich þe,
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24 Oct 00 - 06:16 PM (#326419) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Susanne (skw) Found a double CD, 'Mary O'Hara: 28 Great Irish Songs', in the 'reduced' bin of our local supermarket yesterday - for roughly $2. It was produced in Holland 1995, and many of the songs are the same as on the Tradition album, but there is not a shred of info as to where these recordings came from and when they were made. |
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24 Oct 00 - 06:22 PM (#326428) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: mousethief Golly, Susanne, where do you live? Can you get two and I'll pay you for the 2nd and postage and trouble?
Alex |
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25 Oct 00 - 07:25 PM (#327353) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Susanne (skw) Where do YOU live? I'm in Northern Germany. Send me a PM or a mail at skw@worldmusic.de. |
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28 Feb 01 - 09:22 PM (#408465) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,SandersDBS@aol.com I just found this site in a search for the lyrics to "Frog Went A-Courtin,'"and noticed a thread with the lyrics for "Frog in a Well," from October. Anyone have the American version of "Frog Went A-Courtin"? I used to konw a few of the many verses when I waslittel, but have forgottem most of them. My eight year old son came home from school today having heard some of the older children reheasring it for a play at school, and wants to learn all of the verses himself.....Anyone? Dana Sanders |
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28 Feb 01 - 09:37 PM (#408473) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: DonMeixner Its on the Clancy and Makem tape with Roseville Fair, Maybe their last tape before the break up. |
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28 Feb 01 - 09:44 PM (#408477) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Stewie There's a version in the DT under the title 'Mister Frog Went a-Courting': My favourite American version is Chubby Parker's 'King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O' on the Harry Smith Anthology. --Stewie. |
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28 Feb 01 - 11:27 PM (#408545) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,Bruce O. That 1st above is the 19th century "The Frog in the Cocked Hat" on the Bodley Ballad website. |
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01 Mar 01 - 04:33 AM (#408649) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Dunc The late Duncan Grey sang a version of the Frogs Wedding but it would be the early 1960's since I heard it last.The opening verses went something like this... Froggie gi'ed a'woo and ride Cuddy alang Cuddy alang Froggie gi'ed a'woo and ride Sword and pistol by his side Cock ma carie - Cuddy alang Cuddy alang and aye Mistress moose are ye within? Cuddy alang Cuddy alang Mistress moose are ye with in? Aye. Softly do I sit and spin Cock ma carie - Cuddy alang Cuddy alang and aye Beyond that my memory give up in an exhausted heap. |
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01 Mar 01 - 04:48 AM (#408651) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Joe Offer That's interesting, Dunc - seems to be related to Kitty Alone (click), doesn't it? I'll bet your "cuddy alang" version is earlier. -Joe Offer- |
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01 Mar 01 - 04:52 AM (#408652) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Dunc I had the song on an E.P. record when I was a small boy and the main track was The Wee Cock Sparra. The 'B' side had the song about the frog's wedding and Three Craws Sat Upon A Wa'. I would guess the record was produced in the 50's. |
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01 Mar 01 - 04:55 AM (#408653) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Dunc I've just had a look at Kitty Alone and it is very similar. |
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01 Mar 01 - 02:22 PM (#408914) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,SandersDBS@aol.com Stewie, THANK you! That version is the exact one I remember as a child, and the one my eight year old son came home trying to sing yesterday! He will be thrilled to see all of the verses later today. What an education I have had these past 24 hours in frogs and weddings!! Thanks again all, Dana Sanders Dana Bishop Sanders Singer/songwriter, mother of four, ice cube tray filler http://www.DanaSongs.com http://www.MP3.com/DanaBishopSanders |
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01 Mar 01 - 02:46 PM (#408936) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C According to my uncle's notes: "The Opies in their Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, says this (song) may be traced back four centuries, since it is clearly referred to in The Complaynt of Scotland (1549). The oldest text and tune now known to exist are in Thomas Ravenscroft's Melismata (1611)." My uncle added a final verse to his cheerful American rendition: Then Frog and Mouse lived happily, mm-hmmm. Then Frog and Mouse lived happily, mm-hmmm. Frog and Mouse lived happily, And they were blessed with children three, Mm-hmmm, mm-hmmm, mm-hmmm. And one did croak and two did squeak, mm-hmmm. And one did croak and two did squeak, mm-hmmm. One did croak and two did squeak, And they had long tails and webbed feet, Mm-hmmm, mm-hmmm, mm-hmmm.* A celebration of diversity! Of course, we kids prefered the verses with the mouse and frog getting gobbled up. * Verse by Richard Dyer-Bennet |
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25 Aug 12 - 05:03 AM (#3394799) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,Michael Bedlow Here's another variant. Skip over the first two minutes of guff. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOUIFh7lrOs I can't catch the words in some places: 1.'When little Miss Mouse got up to sing, she touched the fiddler (the bumblebee) with her ??? ' There is a version in which the bee or a wasp stings another. Wonder if something here is based on that. 2. 'Well poor Mr Frog did croak and moan, ...................................... ? Anyone know this version. The singer says he got it in Glasgow. |
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25 Aug 12 - 05:53 AM (#3394819) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Owen Woodson Wasp, not mouse. Sting. The version in question comes from Packie Byrne of Corkemore, Donegal and was recorded by him on EFDSS Folk Classics LP 1009. At some point, I think at a Sidmouth folk festival in the early 1980s, Len Graham learned it from Packie, and he subsequently recorded it on Claddagh LP CC 41; Ye Lovers All. Indirectly, it will be from one of those two sources that the guffoons in the Youtube video learned it. Here's the text as Packie sang it on the LP. The refrain lines were omitted from the booklet text, so I've filled in what I think I hear him singing. The Frog's Wedding Now a frog set out to woo a mouse Follow the rink callery oh A frog set out to woo a mouse And so he went to the mouse's house. Follow the rink callery oh A tant a ta ree a farandy Saying "Young Miss Mouse will you marry me" Saying "Young Miss Mouse will you marry me" "I will if my Uncle Rat agrees" When Uncle Rat came home that noon Saying "Who's been here since I left home". "Well indeed there's been a nice young man, And I will marry him if I can". "Well that is very good news my dear, And we will soon have music here". Now the first came in was a bumble bee With his fiddle upon his knee. And the next came in was a big black snail With his bagpipes on his tail. Then the next to come in were two little white dogs Dressed in breeches, collars and clogs. Well now that we're all in very good cheer We're going to have some dancing here. So they tapped it out with their toes and heels Sets and hornpipes, jigs and reels. When little Miss Wasp got up to sing She touched the fiddler with her sting Then who came in but a big tom cat He caught Miss Mouse, he broke her back. Then poor Mr. Frog did croak and moan He went sadly home and lived alone. |
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17 Dec 16 - 10:03 PM (#3827158) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: AmyLove Recording of Frog In The Well as performed by The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem And Their Families |
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17 Dec 16 - 10:44 PM (#3827162) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: AmyLove Recording by Annalisa Kerrigan: The Frog's Wedding And from her liner notes (found here ) I first heard this sung by the incandescent Mary O'Hara. There are many different legends connected to this song; some say it was about a Catholic man – the frog – who got caught trying to marry a Protestant lass – the butterfly – and they were caught by the Guards. He escaped only to be drowned in a river. Like Mary O'Hara, I chose to leave out the traditional penultimate verse, which I found rather horrid. There was a frog lived in the well, 'Haigh ho!' said Roly There was a frog lived in the well, And a merry mouse in the Dell. With me Roly Poly Cabbage and Spinach and Haigh! For Anthony Roly!" Said the frog, 'I must go court, With my bayonet and my sword.' 'Where will the wedding be?' 'At the butt of an ivy tree.' 'Now we're all in very good cheer, If we had some music here!' In came the bumble bee, Clapped a bagpipe on his knee. 'Now we're all in very good cheer, If we had some dancing here!' In came the butterfly, Swore she'd dance until she'd die. Then commenced a terrible din, The cat and her kittens came tumbling in. Frog jumped up with a terrible fright, And doffed his hat and said, 'Good night!' As the Frog was crossing the stream, A big duck came and gobobbled him up. |
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18 Dec 16 - 11:11 AM (#3827205) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Steve Gardham In the long 'rigdum' chorus version there is a classic final verse after the frog et al have been gobbled up. Now nature ordered 'as you were' lingdum bullidum a coyme, And we won't have tadpoles covered in fur, with a lingdum etc. |
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18 Dec 16 - 10:34 PM (#3827293) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Joe_F AmyLove: Damn! I used to *joke* to myself that this song might have been about the prospects for a mixed marriage in the 16th century. Maybe it was. |
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18 Dec 16 - 11:57 PM (#3827295) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: AmyLove Joe F, I did some searching, and didn't find any other mentions of the Catholic/Protestant interpretation. I did find THE HISTORY OF "THE FROG'S COURTSHIP": A Study of Canadian Variants which you might find interesting. The song is discussed in the book Hidden Fermanagh by Cyril Maguire. From a review of the book: The reference to Seán Corcoran's collection appears in a discussion of a song he collected from Annie McKenzie, The Frog's Wedding, where, unfortunately, while admitting the possibility of 'allegorical interpretations', Cyril gives credence to the view that 'it is simply a children's song made up and sung for enjoyment' (p.61) espoused by John Moulden (sadly, misspelt here as 'Molden'). Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but songs deliberately aimed at children do not usually include verses such as this, which seems not to require any allegorical interpretation whatsoever: "Arragh, Missie Mouse, will you wed?" Fol-lie, linkum-laddy, "Will you come into me bed?" Tidey-ann, tidey ann, diderum-diedum-dandy. Anyone with any knowledge of ranarian sexual behaviour knows full well that male frogs are incessantly promiscuous and, as a result of their myopia, are not always accurate in terms of the direction of their Priapic intentions. Indeed, this means that when froggie feels the urge to merge, he'll jump on anything that bears the slightest resemblance to the generative obligations of his species (including many a poor mouse!). And what are we to make of the line 'Frog rode up to Mouse's hole'? |
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19 Dec 16 - 05:06 AM (#3827331) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,CJB The Liverpool Spinners had a great version. http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Frogs_Courtship(4).htm horus.... (insert every couple of verses or so) Here's to Cheshire, Here's to Cheese here's to the pears and the apple trees here's to the lovely strawberries Ding! Dang! Dong! go the Wedding Bells |
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19 Dec 16 - 09:36 AM (#3827384) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Steve Gardham >>>Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but songs deliberately aimed at children do not usually include verses such as this.<<< Yes but children's songs quite frequently get parodied and turned into bawdy songs. What you are quoting there is very likely a one-off, but even if it isn't it's certainly rare. Don't mice live in holes where you are? Interesting thought threads though! |
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19 Dec 16 - 11:16 AM (#3827398) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: GUEST,CJB And the Liverpool Spinners being such a family orientated folk group!!! |
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19 Dec 16 - 10:22 PM (#3827497) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: AmyLove Steve Gardham, I'm not sure if you think those were my own comments. Let me clarify. From this - "The song is discussed in the book Hidden Fermanagh by Cyril Maguire. From a review of the book:" - to the end of that post is from the review I linked to. I merely copied and pasted the section that pertained to the song, thinking others might find it interesting. |
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20 Dec 16 - 08:45 AM (#3827569) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Charley Noble Here's the full version that Richard Dyer-Bennet used to sing, two verses of which I cited above many years ago: An American variant as sung by Richard Dyer-Bennet, with last verse composed by singer. Frog Went a-Courting Frog went a-courting, he did ride, mm-hmm, Frog went a-courting, he did ride, mm-hmm, Frog went a-courting, he did ride, Sword and pistol by his side, Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. He rode till he came to Miss Mouse's hall, mm-hmm, He rode till he came to Miss Mouse's hall, mm-hmm, He rode till he came to Miss Mouse's hall, Where he most tenderly did call, Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. Oh, Mistress Mouse, won't you come down, mm-hmm, Oh, Mistress Mouse, won't you come down, mm-hmm, "I dare not for my life come down, 'Cause Uncle Rat is away at town, Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. But Uncle Rat he soon came home, mm-hmm, Uncle Rat he soon came home, mm-hmm, Uncle Rat he soon came home, mm-hmm, Says, "Who's been here since I've been gone?" Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. "Here's been a fine young gentleman," mm-hmm, "Here's been a fine young gentleman," mm-hmm, "Here's been a fine young gentleman," Who swears he'll marry me if he can," Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. Then Uncle Rat gave his consent, mm-hmm, Then Uncle Rat gave his consent, mm-hmm, Then Uncle Rat gave his consent, And made a handsome settlement, Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. Then Frog and Mouse lived happily, mm-hmm, Then Frog and Mouse lived happily, mm-hmm, Then Frog and Mouse lived happily, And they were blessed with children three, Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. And one did croak and two did squeak, mm-hmm, And one did croak and two did squeak, mm-hmm, One did croak and two did squeak, And they had long tails and webbed feet, Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. mm-hmm. Charlie Ipcar |
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20 Dec 16 - 09:24 AM (#3827576) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Frog's Wedding From: Steve Gardham Sorry, Amy! It was difficult to tell which comments were being quoted and which were your own. I should have paid closer attention! |