Digital Tradition Mirror

Frog Song

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Frog Song
(Charles E. Travathan)

Away down yonder in Yankety Yank
A bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
Cause there wasn't nothin' else to do;
He stubbed his to and in he fell
An' de neighbors all say that he went to...well,
'Cause he hadn't nothin' else to do.

cho: An' jus' lots of folks is like dis foolish frog of mine,
     A-runnin' into trouble jus' to pass de time.
     An' de devil's allus loafin' 'round jus' to grab de kind
     That never hasn't nothin' else to do.

When dey buried dat frog, de preacher said,
"De reason why dis young frog is dead,
"'Cause there wasn't nothin 'else to do."
An' all you frogs jus' a listen to me,
Yo' bettah stay at home wid yo' family,
When you hav'nt nothin' else to do.

Some frogs I know is pow'ful fond
Of spendin' dey time in' nother frog's pond,
'Cause dey hasn't nothin'else to do.
But dis consolation, de Good Book brings,
De frog of dem habits won't wear no wings,
'Cause he hasn't nothin' else to do.

Now all of yo' people dat heah dis song,
Yo' knows why dis po' frog went wrong,
'Cause he hadn't nothin' else to do.
You'd bettah keep busy on any kind of pay,
Till de big horn blow on de judgement day,
Den you will hab somethin' else to do.

From Flashes of Merriment, Levy
Note: Often referred to as May Irwin's "Frog" Song. May Irwin
     was an 1890's entertainer (sort of a post-Victorian Bette
     Midler) who was referred to as the "stage mother of
     ragtime". Her biggest hits were the Frog song and the Bully
     song (Bully of the Town).
RG

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