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Frog Went A-Courting (Frog’s Courtship)
English, Ballad Air; Widely spread both in US and abroad.
ARTIST: From Mississippi country whites; MS. of Miss Raymond; 1909 CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1909 First appears in 1549 (Wedderburn's "Complaynt of Scotland");
OTHER NAMES: “Frog Went A-Courting;” “A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go;” “The Frog’s Courtship;” "The Frog and the Mouse;" "It was a frog in a well;" “There Was a Puggie in a Well;” “There Lived a Puddie in the Well;” “The Frog's Wooing”
RELATED TO: Here's to Cheshire, (Here's to Cheese); There Was a Puggie in a Well; Sing Song Kitty (Won't You Ki-Me-O); Frog's Wedding; It Was a Frog in the Well; Kyman-I-Doe; Birmingham; "Kemo Kimo;" “King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O;” "I Ask That Gal" (tune); "The Bear in the Hill" (plot); “Kitty Alone” (text)
SOURCES: American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p.310; American Folk Songs for Children, Doubleday/Zephyr Books, Bk (1948), p.116; American Songbag, Harcourt Brace Jovan..., Sof (1955), p143 (Mister Frog Went A-Courting); Craven, Callie. Southern Folk Ballads, Vol. 2. Ballads - Stories in Song..., August House, Bk (1988), p. 41; Gentry, Jane. Eighty English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, MIT Press, Sof (1968), p 95 (Frog and the Mouse); Herren, Ruth Burton. Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 76; Riddle, Almeda. Singer and Her Songs. Almeda Riddle's Book of Songs, Louisiana State, Bk (1970), p 44 Randolph 108, "The Frog's Courtship;" Eddy 44, "The Frog and the Mouse;" Flanders/Olney, pp. 11-13, "Gentleman Froggie;" Kennedy 294, "The Frog and the Mouse;" McNeil-SFB2, pp. 41-43, "Frog Went A-Courtin;" Wyman-Brockway I, p. 25, "Frog Went A-Courting;" Wyman-Brockway II, p. 86, "The Toad's Courtship;" Fowke/Johnston, pp. 170-171, "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go;" FSCatskills 142, "Missie Mouse;" Sharp/Karpeles-80E 75, "The Frog and the Mouse;" Sandburg, p. 143, "Mister Frog Went A-Courting;" Scott-BoA, pp. 339-341, "The Mouse's Courting Song;" Asch/Dunson/Raim, p. 32 "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O;" Lomax-ABFS, pp. 310-313, "Frog Went A-Courtin';" Botkin-NEFolklr, pp. 571-572, "The Frog in the Spring;" Botkin-SoFolklr, p. 722, "Frog Went A-Courting;" PSeeger-AFB, p. 56, "Froggie Went A-Courtin';" Pankake-PHCFSB, pp. 48-49, "Froggie Went A-Courting;" JHCox 162, "The Frog and the Mouse;" Chappell/Wooldridge I, pp. 142-143, "The Wedding of the Frog and Mouse;" Silber-FSWB, p. 403, "Frog Went A-Courtin';" BBI, ZN3249, "It was a frog in a well"
NOTES: "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go." G Major. Standard. One part. The air for this song (which Horace M. Belden believes is the most widely known song in the English language) first appears in Thomas Ravenscroft's "Melismata" (1611). It is an early version of the song ("Froggie Went A-Courtin'") famous in British and American traditional folklore and folksong, of which the earliest appearence was in Wedderburn's "Complaynt of Scotland" (1549) where it is called "The frog cam to the myl dur." Another early version is found in a broadside text of 1580, called "A moste Strange weddinge of the ffrogge and the mowse" (Rollins). See also the extensive note on this tune and text in Cazden's (et al, 1982) Catskill Mountain (New York) collected "Missie Mouse." Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Times), Vol. 1, 1859; pg. 142.
The notes on this song in Cazden et al (pp. 524-532) constitute probably the best succinct summary available on variants of this piece. Spaeth has a note that the original version of this was supposed to refer to the Duke of Anjou's wooing of Elizabeth I of England. If the second known version (1611, in Melismata, reprinted in Chappell) were the oldest, this might be possible -- there are seeming political references to "Gib, our cat" and "Dick, our Drake." But the Wedderburn text, which at least anticipates the song, predates the reign of Queen Elizabeth by nine years, and Queen Mary of by four. If it refers to any queen at all, it would have to be Mary Stuart. Those who want a version of this piece which does not involve inter-species hanky-panky are advised to try J. A. Scott's version (or other American texts); in this, both creatures are mice. Of course, it does end with the cat interfering with the festivities. The earliest text we have is the one I mentioned, in Ravenscroft's book of 1611, Melismata. He gives the tune too. It starts:
It was the Frogge in the well,
Humble-dum, humble-dum,
And the merrie Mouse in the Mill,
tweedle, tweedle twino.
The burden in between the story lines has to be an imitation of the sound of a spinning wheel—Mrs. Mouse is spinning when Froggy arrives. Same goes for the more modern versions-- "ahum" or however you want to spell it, while the "twino" seems to spawn "kimo" as in the minstrel song ["coino" is found in the 18th century], and there's quite a few variations.
The exchange of lyrics with “Froggie” and many other folk songs and fiddle tunes in the US have caused some confusion. Fiddle tunes often borrow short rhyming lines that make little sense as a narrative. Presumably some of the nonsense rhymes could have traveled from songs like “Froggy” and “Martin Said to His Man,” to “Kemo Kimo” and “Kitty Alone then to other animal songs including “Buckeye Jim.” There is an interesting connection with the “weave and spin” in “Buck-Eye Jim” and the “spin” in the Froggy songs. “I Ask that Gal” which uses the “Froggie” melody can be found in Randolph-Legman I, pp. 133-134.
RECORDING INFO: Brand, Oscar. Oscar Brand's Children's Concert, Riverside RLP 1438, LP (1961), cut#A.02; Dyer-Bennet, Richard. Twentieth Century Minstrel, Stinson SLP 2, LP (196?), cut# 3 (Frog and the Mouse); Falderal String Band. Step Right Up... Free Show Tonight!, Hen House, Cas (1996), cut#B.06; Ginandes, Shep. Dogwood Soup, Pathways of Sound POS 1023, LP (196?), cut#A.02 (Dogwood Soup); Hall, Martha. Mountain Music of Kentucky, Folkways FA 2317, LP (1960), cut# 23 (Kitty Alone); Hall, Martha. Mountain Music of Kentucky, Smithsonian/Folkways SF 40077, CD (1996), cut#2.38 (Kitty Alone); Hicks, Dee. Hicks Family. A Cumberland Singing Tradition, Tennessee Folklore Soc. TFS-104, LP (1982), cut# 6; Hills, Anne; and Cindy Mangsen. Never Grow Up, Flying Fish FF 671, CD (1998), cut# 4; Hinton, Sam. Whoever Shall Have Some Good Peanuts, Scholastic SC 7530, LP (1964), cut#B.07; Ives, Burl. Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck And Other Favorites, Harmony HS-14507, LP (197?), cut#A.03 (Mr. Froggie Went A-Courtin'); MacColl, Ewan; and Peggy Seeger. Matching Songs of the British Isles and America, Riverside RLP 12-637, LP (196?), cut# 10; Marks, Phyllis. Folksongs and Ballads, Vol 2. Phyllis Marks, Augusta Heritage AHR 008, Cas (1991), cut#2.03; McCurdy, Ed. Children's Songs, Tradition TLP 1027, LP (1958), cut#A.10; McCutcheon, John. How Can I Keep from Singing?, June Appal JA 0003, LP (1975), cut# 7; McLain Family Band. McLain Family Band, Country Life CLR-2, LP (1973), cut#B.02 (Mister Frog); Mobley, Pleaz. Anglo-American Songs and Ballads, Library of Congress AFS L12, LP (1953), cut# 6; Niles, John Jacab. Best of John Jacob Niles, Tradition S-2055, LP (196?), cut#B.05; O'Hara, Mary. Songs of Ireland, Tradition TR 1024, LP (1958), cut# 3 (Frog Song); Pitt, Everett. Up Agin the Mountain, Marimac 9200, Cas (1987), cut# 10 (Frog and the Mouse); Riddle, Almeda. Granny Riddle's Songs and Ballads, Minstrel JS-203, LP (1977), cut#A.01; Riddle, Almeda. Sounds of the South, Atlantic 7-82496-2, CD( (1993), cut#4.04; Rooftop Singers. Good Time!, Vanguard VRS-9134, LP (1964), cut#B.05 (R. C. Frog); Seeger, Peggy. Everybody Sing, Vol 2., Riverside RLP-1419, LP (196?), cut# 9b; Seeger, Peggy And Mike. American Folk Songs for Children, Rounder 8001/8002/8003, LP (1977), cut# 43; Seeger, Pete. American Favorite Ballads. Volume 4. Tunes and Songs, Folkways FA 2323, LP (1963), cut#A.06; Sexton, Morgan. Shady Grove, June Appal JA 0066C, Cas (1992), cut# 17; Sexton, Morgan. Rock Dust, June Appal JA 0055, LP (1989), cut# 1; Stekert, Ellen. O Love Is Teasin', Elektra BLP-12051, LP (1985), cut#1.04; Stekert, Ellen. Our Singing Heritage. Vol I, Elektra EKL-151, LP (195?), cut# 12; Storm, Gail Stoddard. Brave Boys, New England Traditions in Folk Music, New1 World1 NW 239, LP (1977), cut# 1 (Frog He Would A Wooing Go); Watson, Doc. Home Again, Vanguard VSD 79239, LP (1967), cut# 9; Watson, Doc. Essential Doc Watson, Vanguard VCD 45/46, CD (1986), cut# 3; Bradley Kincaid, "Froggie Went A Courting" (Supertone 9209, 1928); Chubby Parker, "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" (Columbia 15296D, 1928; on AAFM1, CrowTold01); Adolphus Le Ruez ,"The Frog and the Mouse" (on FSB10); Elizabeth Cronin, "Uncle Rat Went Out to Ride" (on FSB10); Annie Paterson, "The Frog and the Mouse" (on FSB10); Albert Beale, "A Frog He Would a-Wooing Go" (on FSB10) Pleaz Mobley, "Froggie Went A-Courting" (AFS; on LC12); Anna & Julietta Canova, "The Frog Went A-Courtin'" (c. 1928; on CrowTold02)
NOTES ON KEMO KIMO-SING SONG KITTY: Spaeth reports that one H. Wood published a song called "Keemo Kimo" in 1854. A variant of "Froggie Went A-Courtin'"is “Sing Song Kitty (Won't You Ki-Me-O)” or “Kemo Kimo” sometimes named “Beaver Creek”. “King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O” is a minstrel version of this branch of “Froggie” which was a big hit for Chubby Parker, recorded on Columbia 15296D, on AAFM1, CrowTold01 in 1928.
The main difference between the related “Froggy” and the “Kemo/Sing Song Kitty/Kitty Alone” songs, which I separate, is the “Kemo” songs tend to not have a plot (not a ballad) and are comic rhyming verses usually about animals. Several of these texts, such as Lawrence Older's "Frog in the Spring," have lyrics reminiscent of "Frog Went A-Courting." Kemo relates to: "The Carrion Crow/A Kangaroo Sat on an Oak" "Raccoon" (floating lyrics); "Frog Went A-Courting" (floating lyrics, theme)
SOURCES OF KEMO KIMO: Anthology of American Folk Music, Oak, Sof (1973), p 32 (King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O); Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p106b (Kemo Kimo); Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p418 (Kemo Kimo) Randolph 282, "There Was an Old Frog;" Eddy 45, "The Opossum;" Warner 68, "The Bull Frog;" Gilbert, p. 42, "Polly Won't You Try Me O" RECORDING INFO ON KEMO KIMO: Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. At Home with the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem & their Familiies, Tradition TR 2060, LP (197?), cut# 14 (Frog in the Well); Gibson, Bob. Folk Songs of Ohio, Stinson SLP 76, LP (195?), cut#B.01 (Down in Sky Town); Hobdy, Ann. Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 48 (Kitchy, Kitchy Ki Me O); McCurdy, Ed. Children's Songs, Tradition TLP 1027, LP (1958), cut#B.08 (Keemo Kimo); Older, Lawrence. Adirondack Songs, Ballads and Fiddle Tunes, Folk Legacy FSA-015, Cas (1964), cut#B.01 (Frog in the Spring); Parker, Chubby. Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian/Folkways SFW 40090, CD( (1997), cut# 8 (King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O); Stracke, Win. Folk Songs for the Young, Golden Records, LP (1962), cut#A.05 (Kemo Kimo); Watson, Doc. Home Again, Vanguard VSD 79239, LP (1967), cut# 8; West, Harry and Jeanie. Smokey Mountain Ballads, Counterpoint/Esoteric CPT-545, LP (197?), cut# 1; West, Harry and Jeanie. Harry and Jeanie West, Archive of Folk Music FS-208, LP, cut# 1; Lawrence Older, "Frog in the Spring" (on LOlder01); Prairie Ramblers, "Beaver Creek" (c. 1935; on CrowTold02)
NOTES ON KITTY ALONE: “Kitty Alone” is distant branch of “Froggie” and “Kemo Kimo.” It is related to the “Old Blind Drunk John” songs and the text is more closely to the related to the “Limber Jim/Buck-Eye Jim” group of songs. In a long note on this song Professor G. L. Kittredge shows that the “Old Blind Drunk John” songs derive from “a famous old English song, ‘Martin Said to His Man,’ and entered in the Stationers’ Register in 1588.” It is a lying song—“I saw a louse run a mouse.... I saw a squirrel run a deer.... I saw a flea kick a tree..., in the middle of the sea.” One Scottish version cited says, “Four and twenty Hilandmen chasing a snail,” etc.
Referred to in Dryden's 1668 play "Sir Martin Mar-all, or the Feign'd Innocence" (act IV). It seems to have been very popular in the century prior to that. The American versions can generally be told by their narrative pattern, "(I) saw a () (doing something)," e.g. "Saw a crow flying low," "Saw a mule teaching school," "Saw a louse chase a mouse," "Saw a flea wade the sea." Other names fro “Kitty Alone” are “Who's the Fool Now?,” “Old Blind Drunk John,” “Fooba-Wooba John.”
RECORDING INFO- KITTY ALONE: Beers Family. Seasons of Peace. A Great Family Sings, Biograph BLP 12033, LP (1970), cut#B.03; Bradley, Hank; and Cathie Whitesides. American Fogies. Vol. 2, Rounder 0389, CD (1996), cut#18a; Hills, Anne; and Cindy Mangsen. Never Grow Up, Flying Fish FF 671, CD (1998), cut# 1. Martha Hall, "Kitty Alone" (on MMOK, MMOKCD)
SOURCES- KITTY ALONE: Kinloch-BBook XIV, pp. 50-54, "The Man in the Moon" (1 text) Randolph 445, "Johnny Fool" (2 texts); Wyman-Brockway I, p. 22, "The Bed-time Song" (1 text, 1 tune) Lomax-FSNA 136, "Hurrah, Lie!" (1 text, 1 tune); Chappell/Wooldridge I, p. 140, "Martin Said to His Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
LYRICS:
Frog Went A-Courtin
SONGS AND RHYMES FROM THE SOUTH BY E. C. PERROW
II. SONGS IN WHICH ANIMALS FIGURE
(From Mississippi; country whites; MS. of Miss Raymond; 1909)
Version C:
A Gentleman Frog got up to ride, um . . . um . . . (humming)
A Gentleman Frog got up to ride,
A sword and a pistol by his side, um . . . um . . .
Went down to Lady Mouse's hall, um . . . um . . .
Went down to Lady Mouse's hall
Knocked at the door, and there did call um . . . um . . .
He asked if Lady Mouse were in.
"Yes, kind sir, she sits to spin."
Directly Lady Mouse came down,
Dressed in silk and satin gown.
He said, "Miss Mouse, won't you marry me?"
"Yes, kind sir, if you'll have me."
Directly Uncle Rat came home:
"Who's been here since I've been gone?"
"A nice young gentleman," said she;
"I'll have him, if he'll have me."
Uncle Rat went back to town
To buy his niece a wedding-gown.
"Where shall the wedding-supper be?"
"Way down yonder, in an old hollow oak-tree."
"What shall the wedding-supper be?"
"Bread and honey and a big black bee."
The first one there was Mr. Coon,
Waving about a big silver spoon.
The next one there was Mr. Snake,
Handing around the wedding-cake.
The next one there was a Bumblebee,
Tuning his fiddle on his knee.
Mr. Frog got scared, and run out the door;
He never had heard a fiddle before.
Miss Mouse got scared and run up the wall;
Her foot got caught, and she did fall.
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