King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me Oh/Frog Went Courtin’ (Chubby Parker/Almeda Riddle)

This song needs no introduction. Played with gamut strings on a tackhead banjo
King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" is a variation of "Frog Went A-Courting" or "Froggie Went A-Courtin'." Folklorist Steve Roud of Maresfield, East Sussex includes 640 variations of this song in his index as Roud 16. The earliest recorded appearance of this song is in Wedderburn's Complaynt of Scotland (1548) under the name "The frog came to the myl dur." While many texts of this ballad exist (including a 1580 version cited by Smith in his liner notes), the earliest version with musical notation dates to 1611. According to some sources, the song was originally a satire of François, the Duke of Anjou's wooing of Elizabeth I of England.

[@fogman2041]

What's the tuning for chicken ain't nothing but a bird

[@CousinErn]

Chicken tuning

[@zachb8012]

Pretty wild to think this song was sung in 1538.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Had no idea it was that old. Looked it up and what an interesting history!

[@ericbest9562]

I've listened to every cover of this version of this set of lyrics that I can find and this is my favorite, I hope that gives you a proud moment and swells your ego a little. Good job man! I added it to my ol time and bluegrass play list. It will be playing in my pole barn while I'm running the saw mill and splitting firewood, back in woods down off the dirt road, exactly where it should be heard, echoing through the holler

[@HotSauce-fo6sf]

Wonderful

[@NoahCline]

Wow, I didn’t realize this one went back that far. I was aware of it from Brigg’s, and figured it was early 1800s at best.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Very nice.

[@figgypreserves]

Another enjoyable performance! How do you find old songs and their recordings?

[@CousinErn]

Thank you so much! I really enjoy singing this song. I found this song from watching “The Hangover” oddly enough. Mickey Avalon samples this in his song “what do you do” and years ago I found out it was originally a chubby Parker song. There’s enough music out there you could NEVER get bored trying to find it all. Good luck!

[@persephonesin9706]

I love this