When You Go A Courtin’

1. When you go a-courtin’ I’ll tell you where to go
Down to the old man’s house below.
Young folks sniggerin’ and the old folks gone,
And the gals all mad with their heads not combed
The gals all mad with their heads not combed.

2. The old dirty clothes were hangin’ on a loom,
The house not swept, for they had no broom;
Had a long-tail coat, Lord, greasy all around,
And an old leather bonnet with a hole in the crown,
And an old leather bonnet with a hole in the crown.

3. Well, I stayed and I sparked till I got ashamed
Every few minutes it’s “What’s your name?”
I told them it was Johnny and they seemed satisfied,
For they laughed and they giggled until they both cried,
For they laughed and they giggled until they both cried.

4. Asked me in and invited me to eat,
All they had was a little piece of meat,
An old dull knife and a little bitty fork,
Sawed a half an hour and I never made a mark,
Sawed a half an hour and I never made a mark.

5. Sawed and I sawed till I got it off my plate,
They said, “Young man, you’d better wait.”
Sawed and I sawed till I got it on the floor,
Took my foot and I kicked it out the door,
Took my foot and I kicked it out the door.

6. Here come the old man with a double-barreled gun,
They said, “Young feller, you’d better run.”
Stood there and fought him just as brave as any bear,
Tangled my fingers in the old man’s hair,
Tangled my fingers in the old man’s hair.

7. He smashed my nose and my clothes be tore,
He knocked out my teeth and threw me on the floor.
He blacked my eyes and kicked me in the pants,
Swear, by heck, I’ll never take another chance,
Swear, by heck, I’ll never take another chance.


     An American folk song with a couple of versions floating around, as usual.  This one’s now even sung by choirs!