Madam I Have Come A-Courting- J. Moses (NH) 1933 and 1951
[From two archival cassettes 1933 and 1951 in the Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College Special Collections & Archives. The 3rd stanza is only from the 1933 recording which has a different chorus.
R. Matteson 2017]
"Madam I Have Come A-Courting" as sung by by Jonathan Moses at Orford (New Hampshire); recorded by Helen Flanders on 08-24-1951. Learned in North Haven, Maine. Listen, Track 01: https://archive.org/details/HHFBC_tapes_T07A
Madam, I have come a-courting
Your perfection for to win,
If you'll kindly entertain me,
Perhaps I may return again.
CHORUS: No, no, no no no sir,
All of her answers to me was No.
Oh madam I have gold and silver,
Madam I have houses and lands,
Oh madam I have ships on anchor
All to be at your command.
CHORUS
Don't want some[1] of your gold or silver
Don't want some of your houses and lands,
Don't want some of your ships on anchor
All's I want's a handsome man.
CHORUS
A handsome man that I admire,
A handsome man that I adore,
A handsome man that I will have,
Whether he is rich or poor.
CHORUS
1. Sings: "I want some of" which makes no sense-- this stanza is from Moses 1933 recording with a different chorus.