1760. A Frog He Would a Wooing Go (Traditional English)

This is the third version I have recorded of this famous song of Mr Frog's courtship of Miss Mouse. The other versions are "The Frog Went A-Courting", which you can see here, sung with my six-year-old grandson: • 1735. Frog Went a-Cour...
And "Kimo Kemo" which you can see here, sung with my other six-year-old grandson: • 1747. Kimo Kemo (Tradi...
To complete the trilogy, he and I are singing this very English version, requested by barttheanorak.
The first known appearance of the song is in Wedderburn's Complaynt of Scotland (1548) under the name "The frog came to the myl dur". The oldest known musical version is in Thomas Ravenscroft's "Melismata" in 1611, though there is a reference in the London Company of Stationers' Register of 1580 to "A Moste Strange Weddinge of the Frogge and the Mouse." My favourite version is "Kimo Kemo" or "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O", which was recorded by Chubby Parker. In that version the frog fights and kills Miss Mouse's other suitors when they interrupt his proposal. Other versions end with a cat or a snake arriving at the wedding and eating the couple and their guests. In this version, the frog escapes only to be swallowed by a duck.
Lyrics and chords:
C
A frog he would a-wooing go,
.......................... G7
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
.... F ........................ C
A frog he would a-wooing go,
F .......................................... C
Whether his mother would let him or no.
............ F ...................... C
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
......... G7 ......................... C
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
So off he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me,
Kind Mrs. Mousey for to see…
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
They came to the door of Mousey's hall,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
Pray, Mrs. Mouse are you within?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I'm sitting to spin.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
Pray, Mrs. Mouse will you give us some beer?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
Pray, Mr. Frog will you give us a song?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Let it be something that's not very long.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
Indeed, Mrs. Mouse, replied Mr. Frog,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
Since you have a cold, Mr. Frog, Mousey said,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
I'll sing you a song that I've just made.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
But while they were all a-merry-making
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
He took up his hat and he wished them goodnight.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
A lily white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
So there was the end of one, two, three,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
The rat, the mouse, and the little froggy.
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
A playlist of my children's songs is here: www.youtube.com...
Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: raymondsfolkpa...

[@bateriadepetaluma]

Moments spent with a child, passing on traditions, and love for music, these moments are truly priceless.

[@raymondcrooke]

+bateriadepetaluma You're certainly right about that!

[@KingOFuh]

Good for remembering all those lyrix

[@raymondcrooke]

Thank you for listening.

[@fionaprior4143]

Well done, guys. You song the entire same version I have. Thank you. Xx

[@raymondcrooke]

You're welcome, Fiona. It was fun doing this one.

[@lindsay2em]

I haven't heard this since I was kid. No one knew all the words so I only learned a couple verses. Good job!

[@raymondcrooke]

Thanks. It was fun doing this one.

[@emmapicara9527]

Love!

[@raymondcrooke]

Thanks for listening.

[@CrawfishParish]

wow it makes me smile, just wonderful

[@raymondcrooke]

Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

[@JackGAdams]

That is great song Felix and grampa Raymond ...just have to share this on facebook...

[@raymondcrooke]

Thank you, Jack. This is Felix's cousin, Axel. I have two grandsons, so it gets a bit confusing - even for me!

[@1952banjo]

Just wonderful ! enjoyed so much ! :)

[@raymondcrooke]

Thank you, Virginia. We really enjoyed doing this one.

[@Irish_Balladeer]

Awesome!! How did the guitarist keep a straight face, the enjoyment on that little man's face, he was away with Mister frog😊

[@raymondcrooke]

I always loved singing with my grandson, who is turning 15 today!

[@Irish_Balladeer]

@@raymondcrooke brilliant Raymond hope he is still the fiery redhead..keep music live

[@barttheanorak]

Thanks Raymond for doing this great favourite of mine. Anthony Rowley is said to be King Charles II by the way.

[@raymondcrooke]

You're welcome, Chris. So many children's songs seem to be really about historical figures.

[@xiuminscheek8437]

Soooo sweet~~~~

[@raymondcrooke]

+Hello fx Thanks for watching.

[@patriciazavalas4327]

Thanks Axel and Raymond .....I enjoy your passionatre , wholehearted , singing ..... BiINGO find for me ....... i enjoyed the National anthem - special thanks for the second verse .... and for your 'gutsy' singing , Raymond , ( I'm presuming Raymond is the younger singer)) - you are a good listener to pick up the pronunciation of 'advance' that you didn't agree with , so, corrected Axel for and created laughter response from the background listener/ viewer ..... hope yuour sharing and your joyful sounds encourages singing of the 2 verses ..... I am going to share it with my piano and musicianship students (all ages) ......to enthuse joy in them too .....

[@raymondcrooke]

Thanks for your encouraging comments. Axel is the little one!

[@Serge165]

raymondcrooke The Reptilians sing this song to taunt Gilgamesh AKA "Frog" as he perilously and percariously swings two and fro bound up and being lowered into a vat of poison in "Chrono Trigger" Due to his nickname being Frog and the Reptilians being a word I cannot use here

[@raymondcrooke]

Janus Zeal Thanks for that information. It adds a whole new dimension to the song!

[@pmadamson]

Great fun and well done to you both. Is this on Location ? I'm used to seeing the indoor setting ! Those higher notes are excellent from Axel.

[@raymondcrooke]

We decided to do this outside in the front yard. A nice change.

[@stephenderry9488]

Rowley, Poley, Gammon and Spinach were the four prominent noble families of Suffolk: Rowley, Pole, Bacon and Green.

[@raymondcrooke]

Thanks for that information.