Katy Did

DESCRIPTION: "Tell me, pretty little elven/elf, in your cottage green, Have you seen my Katy pass this way since yestere'en? Sid she have a stranger with her...?" "Yes, she did, Katy did, Katy did, she did, she didn't, Katy did, Katy didn't, Katy did, she did."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1952 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: love rejection questions
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Browne-AlabamaFolkLyric 2, "Katy Did" (2 short texts, 2 tunes, plus mention of 1 more)
Roud #11377
NOTES [158 words]: Dime-Song-Book #13, p. 8, has a song, "Katy did, Katy, didn't," which begins
Katy had an ancient lover,
Oh, his head was white as snow;
He was worth a mint of money,
Katy didn't love him though.
Katy did, Katy didn't,
Katy did, Katy didn't,
Katy did, Katy didn't,
Katy didn't, she didn't, I know.
The father tries to may Katy to the rich old man; she begs and pleads against it, and manages to marry "the little elf." The words are listed as by Helen Corwin Fisher and the music by "Mrs. Parkhurst"; it was published by Horace Waters. Clearly it is related to this song (very likely its inspiration), but equally clearly it has been rewritten. Roud files it as #V18789.
There is yet another song with the title "Katy Did, Katy Didn't," by George Brown; it does not appear related. And Frank Loesser and Hoagie Carmichael also had a "Katy Did, Katy Didn't" song, obviously too late to be this song; it's from a cartoon, "Mr. Bug Goes to Town." - RBW
Last updated in version 6.6
File: Brne002

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