Lyrics - Froggie Went A-courtin' by Burl Ives

1.
Mister
Frog went a-courtin, he did ride, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Mister
Frog went a-courtin, he did ride, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Mister
Frog went a-courtin, he did ride,
A sword and buckler by his side, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.2.
He bridled and saddled a big fat snail, uh-huh, uh-huh.
He bridled and saddled a big fat snail, uh-huh, uh-huh.
He bridled and saddled a big fat snail,
And rode it 'tween the horns and tail, uh-huh, uh-huh. uh-huh.(all remaining verses same lines, rhythm and meter, so duplication omitted)3.
He rode up to
Miss
Mousie's door,
Where he had often been before.4.
He called "
Miss
Mouse, are you within?""
Yes sir,
I'm sitting down to spin."5.
He took
Miss
Mouse upon his knee
And asked "
My
Dear, will you marry me?"5
A. "
I'll have to ask my
Uncle
Rat,
To see what he will say to that."6. "
Without my
Uncle
Rat's consent
I wouldn't marry the
President."7.
Frog jumped on his snail and rode away.
He vowed to come another day.8.
Now
Uncle
Rat, when he came home
Asked "
Who's been here since
I was gone?"9. "
A very fine frog's been calling here
And asked for me to be his dear."10.
Uncle
Rat, he laughed and shook his sides
To think his niece would be a bride.11.
So
Uncle
Rat rode into town
To buy
Miss
Mouse a wedding gown.12.
Say, where will the wedding supper be?
Just down by the river in a hollow tree.13.
Say, what will the wedding supper be?
One green bean and a black-eyed pea.13
A.
What else will the wedding supper be?
A fried mosquito and a roasted flea.14.
Pray tell us how
Miss
Mousie dressed?
In a cobweb veil and her
Sunday best.15.
And what did
Mister
Froggie wear?
Sky-blue pants and a doublet fair.
SEE
ALTERNATE
ENDING
AFTER
VERSE 2716.
First guest to call was the
Bumble
Bee,
And he played them a fiddle tune upon his knee.17.
The next to come were the
Duck and
Drake,
Who ate every crumb of the wedding cake.18. "
Come
Miss
Mouse, may we have some beer,
That your uncle and
I may have some cheer?"19. "
Pray,
Mister
Frog, will ye sing a song
That's bright and cheery and shan't last long?"20. "
Indeed,
Miss
Mouse," replied the
Frog,"
A cold has made me as hoarse as a hog."21. "
Since a cold in the head has laid you up,
I'll sing you a song that
I just made up."22.
The all sat down and started to chat,
When in came the kittens and the cat.23.
The bride, in fright, runs up the wall,
Turns her ankle and down she falls.24.
They all went sailing 'cross the lake
And all got swallowed by a big black snake.25.
And the ones who escaped were one, two, three,
The
Frog, the
Rat and
Miss
Mousie.26.
The
Mouse and
Frog went off to
France,
And that's the end of their romance.27.
There's bread and jam upon the shelf,
If you want some, just help yourself.
ALTERNATE
ENDING:15
A.
First to come in were two little ants,
Fixing around to have a dance.16a.
Next to come in was a fat sassy lad,
Thinking himself as big as his dad.17
A.
Thinks himself a man indeed
Because he chews the tobacco weed.18
A
And next to come in was a big tomcat,
He swallowed the
Frog, and the
Mouse and the
Rat.19
A.
Next to come in was a big old snake,
He chased the party into the lake.20
A.
So that's the end of one, two, three,
The
Rat, the
Frog, and
Miss
Mousie.words & music: folk songscopyright: public domainsources:numbered verses:
The
Family
Car
Songbook 1983
Running
Press,
Philadelphia"
A" verses:
Various other song bookstranscribed:
Dilly(
Note there is a modern parody by the
Brothers
Four,on 12"
Columbia vinyl
LP,
CL 1803.
It begins:1.
Frog went a-courtin' and he did go, uh-huh, uh-huh
To the
Cocoanut
Grove for the midnight show.2.
Molly
Mouse was the hatcheck girl, woo woo, woo woo
He thought he'd give this chick a whirl... et cetera.

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