# Frog Went A-Courting
1611 
England
# Lyrics
Frog went a courtin' he did ride, uh-huh
Frog went a courtin' he did ride, uh-huh
Frog went a courtin' he did ride
With sword and pistol by his side, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
He Rode up to Miss Mousie's door, uh-huh
He Rode up to Miss Mousie's door, uh-huh
He rode up to Miss Mousie's door
And climbed up to miss mousie's floor, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee,
And asked her, will you marry me, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat's consent, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat's consent, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat's consent,
I wouldn't even marry the President, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uncle rat ran quickly down, uh-huh
Uncle rat ran quickly down, uh-huh
Uncle rat ran quickly down
To get his niece a wedding gown, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
# History and Meaning
Frog Went A-Courting is a traditional story song with an extensive history, believed to date back to 16th century England and Scotland. Some people claim that the frog in the song represents a French Duke, while the mouse symbolises Queen Elizabeth I.
The rhyme's distant origin first appeared in 1548 under the title "The frog came to the myl dur" in Scots language in Wedderburn's Complaynt of Scotland. A later reference to the rhyme is found in the Stationer's Register of 1580, which mentions "A Moste Strange Weddinge of the Frogge and the Mouse", then later in 1611 Thomas Ravenscroft recorded the song. It has been a popular folk song and nursery rhyme in both Great Britain and America since colonial times. As the song was passed down through generations and adapted by various performers, many different verses emerged, leading to numerous versions of the song.
The song is believed to have been brought to America by the Pilgrims from Great Britain and other settlers of the first colonies. The colonists, who lacked modern forms of entertainment, would sing and play the song to pass the time. Since the 1620s, the song has entertained children and adults throughout the United States, with people continuing to sing and create new verses to this day.
Deciding which and how many verses to include can be a challenge, as there are hundreds of them passed down and adapted over the years. Most versions of the song share the same first verse, featuring Mr Frog arriving with a sword and pistol at his side. From there, the story's details can vary significantly between versions. The song typically narrates the tale of Mr Frog asking Miss Mouse to marry him, with the most popular version for children ending with the marriage between the two characters.