What is A Frog A Went A Wooin'?
1.
This is the title of an American song, circa pre-turn of the century. The lyrics, in part are as follows:
"A froggy would a'wooin' go,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
Whether his mother would let him or no,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
He went right to Miss Mouse's den,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
He said Miss Mouse are you within?
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
He said Miss Mouse I've come to see,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
Whether or no you would marry me,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
So Uncle Rat went to town,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm,
To buy his niece a wedding gown,
Mm Hmm, Mm Hmm..."
The merit of including this song is found during the time it was popular music. The sentiment among "civilized, mature, adults," was that this was simply youthful indulgence, a rebellion comparable to a more recognized form of music such as rock'n'roll.
Every generation has had a form of musical rebellion, for us hip hop and rap, metal, scene, indie and so forth. For our parents' generation Elvis, The Beatles, The Doors, The Who, The Rolling Stones. For their parents' generation Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennette, The Rat Pack. Perhaps earlier representations would include Cab Calloway, Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and the myriad Big Band, Scat, Blues, and Jazz entertainers that drove the musical force of generational distinction between parent and offspring.
Before this there were songs such as "A Frog A Went A Wooin'" that were considered "noise" as much as the parents of the rock a'billy/rock'n'roll generation felt the music their children listened to was "noise."
"A Frog A Went A Wooin'" is a song my Nana and I sang together. Nana explained that this song was considered old during her youth, considering she was born in 1915 this translates to a pre-turn of the century circultaion of the song.
So this snippet of lyrics, and the mere mention of this song, represent a slang of a bygone era that nevertheless deserves recognition and preservation among the archives of slang documented in Urban Dictionary.
"A Frog A Went A Wooin'" represents the Dean Martin, Elvis, Metallica, Aerosmith, and G-Unit of a bygone era in its relevance as a form of youthful expression, rebellion, and significance as an indicator of changing times.
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