Katie Dorey- Jackson (KY) 1941 Lomax
KATY DOREY*
Aunt Molly Jackson, New York City, [* In other versions, "Kittie Morey," or "Katy Morey." ]
"The larger children would sing these little funny songs and us smaller children would hear 'em} and we'd get together and sing 'em and make a big laugh out of 'em. This particular Sunday we was all down under a big shade tree swingin' on the limb and a-singin' one,
"My grandfather hollered over to my father and said what was he a-doin' settin' over there not correctin' his children and them a-singin' sich rough songs as that. And my father he hollered back over to my grandÂfather and he said, 'If that's all that you've got to do, he says, 'is to be out, he says, 'a-payin' attention' he says. Ho what babies and children says, he says; 'if you don't want these little children, says, Go sing these things and do these things says, 'correct your children that's much larger and older than them an' stop them singin' these songs before them and then, says, 'I'll ashore you, says, 'that my babies and Ranee Rollins's babies won't be a-singin' these songs they learned from the bigger kids, he says."
—Aunt Molly Jackson.
1 Come all you joky boys
And listen to my story,
I tell you a plan I fell upon
To steal Miss Katy Dorey.*
Chorus: Lye too-lye ring-dee-ring-dum,
Lye too-lye ring-dee-ring.
2 I went down to Katy's house, Just like a clever feller;
I told her that the peaches and plums Was getting ripe and meller.
3 I told her that I suited her, I was not trying to flatter;
I told her that her sister Sal Knowed nothing of the matter.
4 I did not have to ask her twice, She put on her best bonnet.
My heart was beating very fast, As 'cross the fields we ran it.
5 "It's now we're here alone, And no one knows the matter;
It's you must die or else comply, For I've no time to flatter."
6 Katy seemed quite pleased, my hand she squeezed: "There's but one thing I fear, sir,
Is that my father may come this way, And he would find us here, sir,
7 "But if you'll climb the highest tree, That rises in this bower,
And if my father keeps away, We'll spend a happy hour."
8 Katy stood at the foot of the tree, Until I had ascended:
"It's you may get down the way you got up, For now your fun is ended,"
9 "You look just like an owl," she said, "Your company I shun, sir;
You may eat your plums and suck the stones. For I am going to run, sir."
10 Away Katy heeled it over the plain, And left me here distracted;
I ripped, I swore, my shirt I tore, To think how I had acted,
11 About three months from that day Kate and I got married,
And about three months after that A lovely son she carried,
12 It's time to hush up foolish song, It's time to quit all rhyming;
But ever' time this baby squalls, Begod, I think of climbing.