All of her Answers- Peggy Seeger (NY) 1955 REC
[From: Peggy Seeger recording Folkways Album No. FA 2049 titled "Folk Songs of Courting & complaint." C 1955, 1962 Folkways Records & Service Corp., 701 Seventh Ave., N.Y.C., USA. Notes from Charles Seeger follow. This is based on the 1951 version by Lannis Sutton.
R. Matteson 2017]
ALL OF HER ANSWERS TO ME WERE NO
The theme is of English origin and is given various serious as well as comic treatments, examples being "Paper of Pins" and the "Quaker's Wooing". The chorus is ready-made for group singing and the song itself is a children's singing game. The variation in levels of speech is amusing, where delicate phrases as "The ripest apple will soon grow rotten ... don't be so bold" occur
right next to bits of slang like "uh-uh, no" and "pray, little miss, this ain't the way".
Madam I have come for to court you
Your affections for to gain,
It you'll give me good attention
Perhaps I'll come twice more again.
Uh-uh, no, no sir no,
All of her answers to me were no. (2 times)
Madam I have gold and silver
Madam I have a house and land,
Madam I have a world of pleasure
It'll be yours at your command.
Uh-Uh, no, etc.
What care I for your gold and silver
What care I tor your house and land,
What care I for your world of pleasure
All I want is a handsome man.
Uh-uh, no, etc.
Madam you seem for to dote on beauty
Beauty is a thing that will fade away,
Gather a red rose in the morning
Then by noon it will fade away.
Uh-uh, no, etc.
The ripest apple will soon grow rotten
The warmest glove will soon grow c01d,
Young man's promise is soon forgotten
Pray little miss don't be so bold.
Uh-uh, no, etc.
The Arkansas boys they ain't the fellers
They don't know how to court the gir1s,
Turn their backs and hide their faces
Pray little miss this ain't the way.
Uh-ub, no, etc.
Nov the Texas boys they're the fellers
They know how to court the girls,
Hug them a little and kiss them plenty
Pray little miss this is the way.
Uh-uh, no, etc.
Madam I have been to London
Madam I have been to France,
Many a time my mammy whipped me
Oh Lord honey how she made me dance.
Uh-uh, no, etc.
Madam I have come for to court you
Your affections for to gain,
If you'll give me good attention
Perhaps I'll call twice more again.
Uh-uh, no, etc.