“A Comical Ditty (Arizona Boys and Girls)”
Description
"Come all you good people, I pray you draw near... A comical ditty you shortly shall hear." The song notes how the boys dress up to court the ladies, and the girls dress up to court the men, but neither can get married of their own power
Notes
Despite the title, this song does not strike me as in any way comic -- bitterly pathetic is more like it. Such slight humor as it has derives from its snarling sarcasm, but even this is too strong to be really effective.
I did not initially link the Randolph song with Cox's; they are shown with distinctly different metrical patterns, and Randolph's text isn't quite as sarcastic. But upon seeing more versions, it appears that they are just extremes of a constellation of forms. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "Putting on Airs" (theme)
References
- Belden, p. 430, "Comical Ditty" (1 text)
- Randolph 461, "The Boys Around Here" (1 text, 1 tune)
- JHCox 57, "A Comical Ditty" (1 text)
- Logsdon 20, pp. 133-135, "They're Down and They're Down" (1 text, 1 tune)
- DT, COMDITTY
- Roud #4868
- BI, JHCox057