Aunt Sal's Song (The Man Who Didn't Know How to Court)

DESCRIPTION: "A gentleman came to our house, He would not tell his name." He comes to court, but acts ashamed. He sits silent next to the girl. Finally he gives up, saying courting isn't worth it. The girls laugh at the "ding-dang fool [that] don't know how to court."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1916 (Wells-TheBalladTree)
KEYWORDS: courting humorous
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE,So)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 15, "Courting Song" (1 text)
Lomax-FolkSongsOfNorthAmerica 101, "Aunt Sal's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ritchie-SingingFamilyOfTheCumberlands, pp. 233-234, "[Aunt Sal's Song]" (1 text, 1 tune)
Chase-AmericanFolkTalesAndSongs, pp. 140-141, "The Bashful Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
Wells-TheBalladTree, p. 123, "Aunt Sal's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
SongsOfAllTime, p. 54, "Aunt Sal's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, HOWCOURT
Roud #776
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Johnson Boys" (theme)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Not Know How to Court
Bashful Courtship
File: LoF101

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