“Hog Drovers”
Description
Playparty. "Hog drovers (x3) we air, A-courtin' your daughter so handsome and fair. Kin we get a largin' here?" The father turns them down. Others (gold miners, cowboys, etc.) ask for her hand. Most are rejected; one (a farmer?) may be acceptable
Supplemental text
Hog Drovers
Complete text(s)
*** A ***
Swine-Herders
From W. W. Newell, Games and Songs of American Children, item
#164, pp. 232-233. The "A" text, apparently from North Carolina,
is given here. Reproduced on pp. 810-812 of B. A. Botkin, American
Folklore.
"Hog-drivers, hog-drivers, hog-drivers we air,
A-courtin' your darter so sweet and fair;
And kin we git lodgin' here, O here --
And kin we git losgin' here?"
"Now this is my darter that sets by my side,
And no hog-driver can get 'er fer a bride;
And you kain't get lodgin' here, O here --
And you kain't get lodgin' here."
"Yer darter is pretty, yer ugly yerself,
So we'll travel on further and seek better wealth,
And we don't want lodgin' here, O here --
And we don't want lodgin' here."
"Now this is my darter that sets by my side,
And Mr. ---- kin git 'er fer a bride,
And he kin git lodgin' here, O here --
And he kin git lodgin' here."
[To a different tune, used for the second part of the game]
Come under, come under,
My honey, my love, my heart's above --
Come under, come under
Below Galilee.
We've caught you as a prisoner,
My honey, my love, my heart's above --
We've caught you as a prisoner,
Below Galilee.
Then hug 'er neet, and kiss 'er sweet,
My honey, my love, my heart's above --
Then hug 'er nice, and kiss 'er twice
Below Galilee.
Notes
Randolph reports that this is based on the Irish game "The Nine Daughters." - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "Three Dukes" (plot, lyrics)
References
- Randolph 555, "Hog Rovers" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Hudson 148, pp. 296-297, "Hog Drovers" (1 text)
- Lomax-FSNA 207, "Hog Drovers" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 810-812, "Swine-Herders (Hog Drovers)" (1 text, 1 tune)
- ST LoF207 (Full)
- Roud #3596
- BI, LoF207