“Walking on the Green Grass”
Description
"Walking on the green grass, Walking side by side, Walking with a pretty girl, She shall be my bride." Boys and girls pair off and dance; the "king" chooses a "queen"; they go around the ring
Supplemental text
Walking on the Green Grass
Complete text(s)
*** A ***
From W. W. Newell, Games and Songs of American Children, item
#162, pp. 227-228. Source not noted. B. A. Botkin, reprints the
item verbatim (including the notes) in A Treasury of
American Folklore, pp. 807-808.
Walking on the green grass,
Walking side by side,
Walking with a pretty girl,
She shall be my bride.
And now we form a round ring,
The girls are by our sides;
Dancing with the pretty girls
Who shall be our brides.
And now the king upon the green
Shall choose a girl to be his queen,
Shall lead her out his bride to be,
And kiss her, one, two, three.
Now take her by the hand, this queen,
And swing her round and round the green.
Oh, now we'll go around the ring,
And ev'ry one we'll swing.
Oh, swing the king and swing the queen,
Oh, swing the king and swing the queen,
Oh, swing 'em round and round the green.
Oh, swing 'em round the green.
Notes
Roud lumps this with "Green Grass," apparently on the basis that they're both playparties about green grass. They look distinct to me. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "Green Grass" (lyrics)
References
- Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 807-809, "Walking on the Green Grass" (1 text plus a possibly related fragment, 1 tune)
- ST BAF807 (Full)
- Roud #1381
- BI, BAF807