Started out a-courtin' and I didn't know whereto go,

voiceCollected by Merlin Mitchell Transcribed by Mary C. Parler Sung by Joseph Clark Fayetteville, Arkansas July 26, 1950 Reel 59, Item 3 Started Out A-Courtin' Started out a-courtin' and I didn't know whereto go, Went to a man's house down here below, Children all cyrin' and the old folks gone, The girls all mad and their heads not combed. The girls all mad and their heads not combed. The floor all littered and they had no broom. The old dirty rags a-hangin' on the loom. The dogs all hounds, and in the pot they go; Chicken in the bread tray scratchin' out the dough. Chicken in the bread tray scratchin' out the dough. Old dirty dishes settin' in the shelf. If you want to go wash it yourself. Skippers in the meat a-eatin' out the lean; Cats in the milk bowl lappin' out the cream. Cats in the milk bowl lappin' out the cream. If you want any supper before you go to bed, You'll have to build a fire up as high as your head, Rake away the ashes and pour it out the door, And the name that they give it was Do-boy-do. The name that they give it was Do-boy-do. And they called me into supper and they thought it for to eat, They set me down to a cold sup of meat. They had an old knife and I thought 'twas a log (?) And the ash-cake bread baked branded on an awl (?) And the ash-cake bread baked Yes, they called me to supper and they thought it for to eat, And they set me down for to carve up the beef With an old dull knife, and I had no fork, And I sawed about a hour and I couldn't make a mark, And I sawed about a hour and I couldn't make a mark. I sawed and I sawed till I got it off the plate. The girls said, Mister, you had better wait. I sawed a little more, and I got it on the floor, And I give it a little kick and I kicked it out the door. I give it a little kick and I kicked it out the door. Seen the old man a-comin' with a double-barrel gun. The girls said, Mister, you had better run. Well, I stood my ground as brave as a bear, And I tangled my fingers in the old man's hair. Tangled my fingers in the old man's hair.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation