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  #1  
Old 02-02-2000, 05:32 PM
Jodi Jodi is offline
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Froggy went a'courtin'

Okay, this is TRULY mundane and pointless but please help just the same. I have this song stuck in my head, but I only know the first verse, so it has been playing OVER AND OVER in my head until I'm resisting the urge to shoot myself to make it stop!

Actually, I don't think I need to shoot myself; I think my usually sunny disposition would be restored if I could just think of the rest of the song. So . . .

Froggy went a courtin' he did ride, uh huh
Froggy went a courtin' he did ride, uh huh
Froggy went a courtin' he did ride,
Sword and pistol by his side, uh huh

THEN WHAT HAPPENS???? Apologies to anyone who may now have this song stuck in their head as well.



------------------
Jodi

Fiat Justitia
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  #2  
Old 02-02-2000, 05:41 PM
Arnold Winkelried Arnold Winkelried is offline
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http://judyanddavid.com/Songbook/F.html

Scroll down to "Froggy went a courtin'". But I've got to warn you, it's pretty ugly! It's a freakin' bloodbath! And they sing this to kids?
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  #3  
Old 02-02-2000, 05:45 PM
Demo Demo is offline
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..."Yes kind sir I sit and spin"
Just doesn't mean what it used to.....
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  #4  
Old 02-02-2000, 05:47 PM
Inkz Inkz is offline
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Jeez Jouise! Whay are nursery rymes and old childrens stories ala. Hansel and Gretel and little Red Riding Hood so sinister!?
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  #5  
Old 02-02-2000, 06:03 PM
Harmonious Discord Harmonious Discord is offline
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This is an old folk song with many variations. I'm typing in the closest to what you have now.

Froggie Would a Wooing Go

A froggie would a-wooing go,
Uh-hum,
Froggie would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no,
Uh-hum

Said the frog "Miss Mouse, will you marry me?"
Uh-hum,
Fro said, "Miss Mouse, will you marry me?"
"I'll have to ask Uncle Rat," said she,
Uh-hum

"Who shall the wedders thay all be?"
Uh-hum,
"Who shall the wedders thay all be?"
"Bear, the bug, and the bumble bee."
Uh-hum.

"Where shall the wedding supper be?"
Uh-hum,
"Where shall the wedding supper be?"
"Down in the trunk of a hollow tree."
Uh-hum.

First to come was a little brown bug,
Uh-hum,
First to come was a little brown bug,
He had whiskey in a jug,
Uh-hum.

The last to come was a big tom cat,
Uh-hum,
The last to come was a big tom cat,
He ate the bride up, just like that
Uh-hum.

Froggie jumped into the lake,
Uh-hum,
Froggie jumped into the lake,
He got eat by a big black snake,
Uh-hum.

Big black snake, he swum to land,
Uh-hum,
Big black snake, he swum to land,
He got killed by a black man,
Uh-hum.

Black man, he came from France,
Uh-hum,
Black man, he came from France,
T'teach the ladies how to dance,
Uh-hum.

The original song doesn't use black for the man, but I'm not going to type the original word.
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  #6  
Old 02-02-2000, 08:24 PM
Jodi Jodi is offline
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Violent, racist, and 900 verses long -- great! There's got to be some other song I can subconsciously obsess over.

::sings::

Jeremiah was a bullfrog . . .


------------------
Jodi

Fiat Justitia
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  #7  
Old 02-02-2000, 09:22 PM
Earl Snake-Hips Tucker Earl Snake-Hips Tucker is offline
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I seem to remember an animated commercial that did this song back in the early 80s.

Don't remember what it was for, though.
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  #8  
Old 02-02-2000, 09:45 PM
Alpine Alpine is offline
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My father used to sing this to us back when he played guitar and we were still wee sprats. I don't remember his version being quite so... gnarly.
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  #9  
Old 02-03-2000, 12:59 AM
TripleAnt TripleAnt is offline
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I heard it from this storyteller we went to listen to at Lincoln's birthplace when I was a little kid in Illinois. I'm the same though, it wasn't as gruesome at it seems there.

------------------
"The idea of a walk-in closet sounds frightening. If I'm ever sittin' at home and a closet walks in, I'm gettin' outta there." ~George Carlin
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  #10  
Old 02-03-2000, 03:46 AM
Zulu Zulu is offline
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We sang a weird version in grade 5:

Froggie went a courtin' and he did ride, rinkum-boyd-michie-cambo.
Sword and pistol by his side, rinkum-body-michie-cambo.

Chorus (sung quite fast): Kee-mo Kie-mo, domie-nicky rye-mo, kee-mo kie-mo nero, straddle-addle-addle bob-a-laddle bob-a-linkum, rinkum-body michie-cambo.

Like, what the hell? I wasn't able to finally get my tongue around that version of the song until I was 18.
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  #11  
Old 02-03-2000, 05:45 AM
Harmonious Discord Harmonious Discord is offline
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Zulu this is closest to yours.

Froggie Went to Take a Ride

Froggie went to take a ride,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Sword and pistol by his side,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Ki-mo ka-ro dout-oh shar-oh, ki-mo, ka-ro,
String strang come-a-diddle, anybody rig,
Rigom body mid-ah ki-mo.

He rode up to Miss Mouse's door,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
He jumped in the middle of Miss Mouse's floor,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Ki-mo ka-ro dout-oh shar-oh, ki-mo, ka-ro,
String strang come-a-diddle, anybody rig,
Rigom body mid-ah ki-mo.

He took Lady Mouse upon his knee,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Said, "Lady Mouse, will you marry me?"
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Ki-mo ka-ro dout-oh shar-oh, ki-mo, ka-ro,
String strang come-a-diddle, anybody rig,
Rigom body mid-ah ki-mo.

Uncle Rat came riding down,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
To get his niece a wedding gown,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Ki-mo ka-ro dout-oh shar-oh, ki-mo, ka-ro,
String strang come-a-diddle, anybody rig,
Rigom body mid-ah ki-mo.

He took her home where he did dwell,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
That was in the bottom of a well,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
Ki-mo ka-ro dout-oh shar-oh, ki-mo, ka-ro,
String strang come-a-diddle, anybody rig,
Rigom body mid-ah ki-mo.

The water took her up to the chin,
Rigdom body mid-ak ki-mo,
She wished she were a maid again,
Ki-mo ka-ro dout-oh shar-oh, ki-mo, ka-ro,
String strang come-a-diddle, anybody rig,
Rigom body mid-ah ki-mo.

------------------
I'm only your wildest fear, from the corners of your darkest thoughts.
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  #12  
Old 02-03-2000, 05:36 PM
frolix8 frolix8 is offline
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According to the liner notes on the Doc Watson CD "Home Again" this song was published in 1580. I doubt that anyone would have been too disturbed by a cat eating a rat or a duck eating a frog, most people back then would have had some experience with the way nature works.

Doc does a very fine rendition of this song, by the way.
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  #13  
Old 02-03-2000, 09:42 PM
Kat Kat is offline
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Anyone else remember the Uncle Pecos version from Tom and Jerry?

Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride
HAMBONE!
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride
Sword and a p-p-p-p-and a revolver by his side
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride
::guitar string breaks::
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  #14  
Old 02-03-2000, 09:50 PM
voguevixen voguevixen is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kat:
Anyone else remember the Uncle Pecos version from Tom and Jerry?

Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride
HAMBONE!
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride
Sword and a p-p-p-p-and a revolver by his side
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride
::guitar string breaks::

"Y'know DURN WELL I cain't play witout ma GEE-tar string!" (I was thinking of that the whole time I was reading, lol!)


------------------
"It was us versus them and it was clear who them was. Today we are not so sure who the they are, but we know they're there."
-- Texas Gov. George W. Bush, presidential candidate.
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  #15  
Old 02-03-2000, 09:50 PM
Earl Snake-Hips Tucker Earl Snake-Hips Tucker is offline
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Quote:
::guitar string breaks::
But, luckily, Tom was always nearby.
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  #16  
Old 02-03-2000, 10:46 PM
SanibelMan SanibelMan is offline
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I remember a version from Pete Seegar that we have on LP here somewhere that went:

Froggy went a courtin' and he did ride
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells...
[lines I don't remember]
Chorus:
Here's to Cheshire, here's to cheese
Here's to the pears and the apple trees
And here's to the lovely strawberries
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells

------------------
SanibelMan - My Homepage
"Hey, you sass that hoopy Ford Prefect? There's a frood who really knows where his towel is."
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  #17  
Old 02-03-2000, 10:51 PM
Earl Snake-Hips Tucker Earl Snake-Hips Tucker is offline
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BTW, the "Froggy Went A-courtin'" commercial was a PSA touting good eating habits.

And, I seem to recall Uncle Pecos as sounding sorta like "Crusty" from "The Incredible Mr Limpet."

Wonder if they were both (or if either was) Paul Frees.
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  #18  
Old 02-04-2000, 08:05 AM
Guy Propski Guy Propski is offline
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Mjollnir--nope, Uncle Pecos was voiced by Shug Fisher, a member of the Sons of the Pioneers. He also used to play "Shorty" Kellems on "The Beverly Hillbillies."
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  #19  
Old 02-04-2000, 08:38 AM
Kamino Neko Kamino Neko is offline
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I'm familiar with a somewhat different version than any of the posted so far.

I can't really remember all the lyrics, but there was reference to the stitching on Froggie's britches - why I remember this I don't know...

There's a little animated thing done of the song (Probably National Film Board - these things usually are.) which was pretty much the version I knew from school.

I love the way the last verse was done in that one...

In the calmest voice humanly possible, more slowly than the rest of the song:

Well, they all sailed off, across the lake, uh hun, uh hun.
Well, they all sailed off across the lake,
(Spoken)And they got gobbled up by the biggest...snake...uh hun, uh hun, uh hun...



------------------
Eschew Obfuscation
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  #20  
Old 02-04-2000, 11:50 AM
Ukulele Ike Ukulele Ike is offline
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Bob Dylan did a nice little version of this on his 1992 album GOOD AS I BEEN TO YOU. Folks were a mite surprised he'd sing something this wholesome.

Little piece a cornbread sittin on the shelf
If ya want any more, ya can sing it yourself.
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  #21  
Old 04-16-2012, 07:05 AM
Shoe2 Shoe2 is offline
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"History" of "Froggy Went a'Courtin'"

"Yep, English. Then, Yankee. It was first printed in England in 1611 with the title, "A Most Strange Weddinge Of The Froge And The Mouse". It first crossed the pond to New England with the Pilgrims & Puritans in the 1620s & 1630s before migrating south to the Blue Ridge & Appalachian areas where it became a "traditional American" tune."

http://kristinhall.org/songbook/Clas...tACourtin.html

Unfortunately, the web page that offers this bit of history, offers no proof of citation for the information. Nonetheless, it seemed worth posting here, if for no other reason, than to send the next reader on a hunt to prove it!
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  #22  
Old 04-16-2012, 07:07 AM
Smapti Smapti is offline
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Well, Froggy went a-courtin' an' he did ride, uh huh,
Froggy went a-courtin' an' he did ride, uh huh,
Froggy went a-courtin' an' he did ride,
Blablablablablablasumthin' Bender is great,
Froggy went a courtin' an' Bender is great, uh-huh!
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  #23  
Old 04-16-2012, 07:52 AM
Dendarii Dame Dendarii Dame is offline
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It doesn't have to be gory, just end it early. "Miss Mousie will you marry me? mm-hmm.(3x) And then we two will happy be, mm-hmm."

"Without my Uncle Rat's consent, mm-hmm (3x) I would not wed the President, mm-hmm."

"So Uncle Rat he went to town, mm-hmm (3x) and bought his niece a wedding gown mm-hmm."

When I sang this to my son, I always ended it at that point.
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  #24  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:07 AM
banjoDavid banjoDavid is offline
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Last verse I haven't seen mentioned yet

Well, that was the end of him and her, uh-huh
that was the end of him and her, uh-huh
that was the end of him and her,
you won't see no tadpoles covered in fur, uh-huh

David
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  #25  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:22 AM
Scumpup Scumpup is offline
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I was unaware until I read this thread that ducks eat frogs. I was ready to make post stating that they do not, then I did a little research.
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  #26  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:27 AM
yellowval yellowval is offline
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There is a version of this song on a CD of children's music I play in the car for my daughter. In that version, the happy couple goes on a honeymoon to France after the wedding supper.
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  #27  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:30 AM
twickster twickster is offline
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Moved MPSIMS --> Cafe Society.
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  #28  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:41 AM
Sophistry and Illusion Sophistry and Illusion is offline
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I know this song from a Doc Watson album I have. His version of the lyrics can be found here. Not sure his version is for kids, either; part of it goes:

2. He rode right up to Miss Mousie's door, ah hah, (repeat)
And he hit it so hard that he made it roar, ah hah, ah hah, ah hah.

3. Then Miss Mousie let him in, ah hah, (repeat)
And the way they courted, it was a sin, ah hah, ah hah, ah hah.
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  #29  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:44 AM
Munch Munch is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jodi View Post
THEN WHAT HAPPENS???? Apologies to anyone who may now have this song stuck in their head as well.
[light-hearted snark]You know, there's this website called "Youtube" that has all sorts of songs and videos and things. You can search on them and everything. Going there and searching "froggy went a courtin" turns up 721 videos. [/LH snark]
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  #30  
Old 04-16-2012, 08:50 AM
pulykamell pulykamell is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Munch View Post
[light-hearted snark]You know, there's this website called "Youtube" that has all sorts of songs and videos and things. You can search on them and everything. Going there and searching "froggy went a courtin" turns up 721 videos. [/LH snark]
If they had Youtube in the year 2000, that might have helped her.
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  #31  
Old 04-16-2012, 09:11 AM
Munch Munch is offline
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Goodness!
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  #32  
Old 04-16-2012, 09:12 AM
yellowval yellowval is offline
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Oh, dear. Has anyone mentioned the last verse with the zombies yet?
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  #33  
Old 04-16-2012, 09:43 AM
Alessan Alessan is online now
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Zombies went a-walking and did they munch, uh-huh
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  #34  
Old 04-16-2012, 09:45 AM
WhyNot WhyNot is offline
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Originally Posted by Alessan View Post
Zombies went a-walking and did they munch, uh-huh
And your cerebellum made a tasty lunch, uh-huh...
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  #35  
Old 04-16-2012, 11:32 AM
Thudlow Boink Thudlow Boink is offline
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Originally Posted by SanibelMan View Post
I remember a version from Pete Seegar that we have on LP here somewhere that went:

Froggy went a courtin' and he did ride
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells...
[lines I don't remember]
Chorus:
Here's to Cheshire, here's to cheese
Here's to the pears and the apple trees
And here's to the lovely strawberries
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells
I had that record when I was a kid!

Apparently, it's been re-released on CD, with a bunch more tracks than I remember on the original LP.
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  #36  
Old 04-16-2012, 02:05 PM
astorian astorian is offline
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Originally Posted by Jodi View Post
Okay, this is TRULY mundane and pointless but please help just the same. I have this song stuck in my head, but I only know the first verse, so it has been playing OVER AND OVER in my head until I'm resisting the urge to shoot myself to make it stop!

Actually, I don't think I need to shoot myself; I think my usually sunny disposition would be restored if I could just think of the rest of the song. So . . .

Froggy went a courtin' he did ride, uh huh
Froggy went a courtin' he did ride, uh huh
Froggy went a courtin' he did ride,
Sword and pistol by his side, uh huh

THEN WHAT HAPPENS???? Apologies to anyone who may now have this song stuck in their head as well.



------------------
Jodi

Fiat Justitia


Okay, I have to ask... did anybody else think of Jerry Mouse's guitar playing Uncle Pecos (who taught me the word "Crambone")?
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  #37  
Old 04-16-2012, 02:07 PM
pulykamell pulykamell is offline
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Originally Posted by astorian View Post
Okay, I have to ask... did anybody else think of Jerry Mouse's guitar playing Uncle Pecos (who taught me the word "Crambone")?
Post #13, yes. (Although, like you, I agree that it was "Crambone" not "HAMBONE"!)
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  #38  
Old 04-16-2012, 03:00 PM
Voyager Voyager is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dendarii Dame View Post
It doesn't have to be gory, just end it early. "Miss Mousie will you marry me? mm-hmm.(3x) And then we two will happy be, mm-hmm."

"Without my Uncle Rat's consent, mm-hmm (3x) I would not wed the President, mm-hmm."

"So Uncle Rat he went to town, mm-hmm (3x) and bought his niece a wedding gown mm-hmm."

When I sang this to my son, I always ended it at that point.
There have probably been 180 new versions released since this thread started.
Besides the good Dylan version mentioned above, I have one by Mike Oldfield, of all people, which has the marry the president verse and then
Uncle Rat laughed and slapped his fat side
Uncle Rat laughed and slapped his fat side
To think his niece would be a bride.

They all get swallowed up by a big black snake in the end, but not as bloodily.

I'm betting there is a Folklore PhD dissertation out there somewhere evaluating all the versions.
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  #39  
Old 04-16-2012, 10:56 PM
pohjonen pohjonen is offline
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I remember this by the Brothers Four:

As I recall the last verse went

"That's it, Clyde, better hit the road, farewell.
That's it, Clyde, better hit the road, goodbye.
That's it, Clyde, better hit the road,
You ain't no frog you're a horny toad,
Farewell, goodbye, adios.
Farewell, goodbye, adios."
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  #40  
Old 04-25-2012, 03:43 PM
Bamboo Boy Bamboo Boy is offline
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I think it's super weird that "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-Oh" (spelling may vary, I think) is the same (sort of) as "Froggy Went a' Courtin'". It's not the same melody, but it IS the same story and much of the same text.

I prefer KKKKKMO to FWaC. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2erx8MEaXxE

How catchy and sweet is that?
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