FROGGIE WENT A COURTIN'^©

Album's version

Mr Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh
Mr Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh
Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride
A sword and pistol by his side, uh- huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

He went down to Miss Mousie's door, uh-huh
He went down to Miss Mousie's door, uh-huh
He went down to Miss Mousie's door
Where he had often been before, uh huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

He took Miss Mousie up on his knee, uh-huh
Said "Miss Mousie will you marry me?" uh huh
"Without my Uncle Rat's consent
I wouldn't marry the President," uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Alright!

Well Uncle Rat he gave his consent, uh-huh
Hey Uncle Rat he gave his consent, uh-huh
Now Uncle Rat he gave his consent
And the weasel wrote the publishment, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Well now where will the wedding supper be? Uh-huh
Where will the wedding supper be? Uh-huh
Well where will the wedding supper be?
Way down yonder in a hollow tree, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Come on Soozie!

Woah!

Yeah the first come in was a flying moth, uh-huh
First come in was a flying moth, uh-huh
First come in was a flying moth
Who laid out the tablecloth, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Well the next to come in was a junie bug, uh-huh
The next to come in was a junie bug, uh-huh
Next to come in was a junie bug
She brought the whiskey in a water jug, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Alright

Next come in was a big black snake, uh-huh
Next come in was a big black snake, uh-huh
Next come in was a big black snake
Chased them all into the lake, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Little piece of cornbread laying on a shelf, uh-huh
Little piece of cornbread laying on a shelf, uh-huh
Little piece of cornbread laying on a shelf
If you want any more, you can sing it yourself, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Yip, go!

Bruce Springsteen recorded this traditional song with The Seeger Sessions Band during the "Seeger Sessions". The song is included on Bruce's 2006 cover album, We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions.

The Seeger Sessions consist of three recording sessions (a 2-days session on 01 and 02 Nov 1997, a 1-day session in Dec 2005, and a 1-day session in Jan 2006), during which all the album's songs were cut live in the living room of Bruce's New Jersey farmhouse. The songs were not rehearsed and all arrangements were conducted as Bruce and the band played. It is not clear during which one of the 3 sessions this song was recorded.

The above lyrics refer to Bruce's version from the We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions album.

This song was reported to be rehearsed for the Seeger Sessions tour by Bruce Springsteen with his Seeger Sessions Band on 20 and 21 Mar 2006 at the Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, NJ. Some comments from the people who listened to the rehearsals:

• "Starts out acoustic then goes to the full band." [20 Mar]
• "Reminded me of something you would hear at Disney's Country Bear Jamboree. Bruce plays some harmonica and Soozie again has a solo." [20 Mar]

Pete Seeger, to whom the above album is dedicated, has recorded three different versions of FROGGIE WENT A COURTIN'. They are included on several of his releases, including:

• Birds, Beasts, Bugs And Fishes, Little And Big (1953, "Frog Went A Courtin'" version)
• American Folk, Game & Activity Songs For Children (1961)
• Children's Concert At Town Hall (1963, "Here's To Cheese (Froggy)" version)

This is the most ancient tune on We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions. The earliest known version was published as early as 1549 in Scotland, but the song probably originates from a much earlier time. It was first printed in England in 1611 under the title: "A Most Strange Weddinge Of The Froge And The Mouse." Due to it's age, this song has numerous variations and is known under many other titles, including: "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go", "Frog in the Spring", "Frog in the Well", "Frog Went A-Courtin'", "Froggy Went A Courtin'", "Here's To Cheshire", "Kemo Kimo", "King Kong Kitchie Ki-Me-O", "Kitty Alone", "Mr. Froggie Went A-Courtin'", "My Frog Went A-Courtin'", "The Frog and the Mouse", "The Frog Song", "Uncle Frog Went Out to Ride", and "Uncle Rat".

Pilgrims probably brought the song to America, where it later migrated to the Blue Ridge and southern Appalachian regions. Check out Dave Marsh's liner notes below for more details.

Dave Marsh's liner notes about FROGGIE WENT A COURTIN':

The most ancient tune here; the earliest version we've seen mentioned came from Scottish shepherds in a book published in 1549. David Highland collected lyrics to 170 verses at http://home.earthlink.net/~highying/froggy/froggy.html. (This site lists only a verse with bread and cheese, not a mention of cornbread, so perhaps Pete created verse 171.) Highland's site is hilarious and entirely serious at the same time.

"Froggie" sometimes goes under assumed names: On The Anthology of American Folk Music, it is featured in a version by Chubby Parker from 1928 under the title, "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O." (Doc Watson also sings this version, although he calls his "Froggie." Nick Cave calls his "King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O.") And it pops up in the damnedest places: A Tom and Jerry cartoon, for instance. But then, as a contributor to the folk music discussion group, Mudcat Cafe (mudcat.org) wrote, "It is a perfect children's song. It has unnatural sex, disgusting food and a bloody finale." (Bruce has generously omitted the bloody finale and the weird stuff about furry tadpoles resulting from the interspecies marriage.)

Bob Dylan recorded "Froggie." There's an absurdist rehearsal take on Elvis's Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters." It's also been done by Hylo Brown, Woody Guthrie, Spider John Koerner, Tex Ritter, Jean Ritchie, Burl Ives and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (who of course do the "Kemo-Kimo" version).

Pete Seeger has done three different versions of "Froggie." They are on American Folk Songs for Children; American Folk, Game and Activity Songs for Children; Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Fishes, Little and Big; American Favorite Ballads, Volume 2, and Stories and Songs for Children.