Way Down Yonder- Mary S. Brown (TX) 1916 Thompson
[My title replacing "Wheevily Wheat." From: Round the Levee, page 18 by Stith Thompson, 1916. Stanzas 1, 2 and 4 are related to "Seventeen."
R. Matteson 2018]
"Way down Yonder" collected by Miss Mary S. Brown of Gatesville, Texas, from Wallace Fogle, a famous play-party singer of Coryell County.
Way down yonder in the maple swamp,
The water's deep and muddy.
There I spied my pretty little miss,
O there I spied my honey.
How old are you, my little miss,
How old are you, my honey?
She answered with a ha-ha laugh,
"I'll be sixteen next Sunday."
The higher up the cherry tree,
Riper grows the cherry,
Sooner a boy courts a girl,
Sooner they will marry,
So run along home, my pretty little miss,
Run along home, my honey,
Run along home, my pretty miss,
I'll be right there next Sunday.
Papa's gone to New York town,
Mama's gone to Dover,
Sister's worn her new slippers out
A-kicking Charley over.