As I was a-walking down the street

voiceCollected by Mary Celestia Parler; Transcribed by Neil Byer Mrs. Jim Crymes DeVall's Bluff, Ark. July, 1954 Reel 202, Item 4 Betsy Brown As I was a-walking down the street A pretty girl I chanced to meet, She was dressed so sweet and looked so neat I could not pass her by. Said I, Kind Miss, I cannot pass you by, You've go my heart, now take my hand, Or I will surely die. She took my hand and away we walked, Side by side we chattered and talked, We came to the house and in we walked, She would not let me go. Prettiest little girl in all the town, Her father was a butcher and his name was Brown, You bet, boys, she was a good old soul, But she's the girl for me. I got an introduction to her pa and her ma, Her brother and her sister fine, You bet they're all pretty, but nothing to compare With the pretty little girl of mine. Coal black and sparkling eyes, Teeth as white as pearls, Oh, she's a darling, you bet she is, She's one of those girls. Her old daddy is a fine old man, The best old man in town, He's gonna give me a house and a lot To belong to Betsy Brown. Going to get married next Friday night, Asked her dad, and he said, All right, I felt so good I wanted to get drunk, But I knew that would not do.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation