How Old Are You, My Pretty Little Miss? P. Seeger (NY) 1960 Lomax
[This fragment is from "Folksongs of North America," by Alan Lomax, 1960 where it is attribute to Peggy Seeger. Her stanzas were included in "Charlie" (Over the River to Charlie; Wheevily Wheat), an arrangement by Shirley Collins. Seeger's stanzas may have been borrowed from Jean Ritchie (see her version recorded "live" with Doc Watson in 1963 which she claims is her father's family version) or vice-versa. This text was given in liner notes of Bill Monroe's family segment as suggested text for the fiddle tune Bill's mother knew. Seeger's 1961 recording had a different text and it's also possible that Lomax credited the song to Seeger when it was Ritchie's song.
R. Matteson 2017]
How Old Are You, My Pretty Little Miss? arranged P. Seeger, 1960.
1. How old are you, my pretty little Miss?
How old are you, my honey?
If I don't die of a broken heart,
I'll be sixteen next Sunday."
CHORUS: Rink to my dink, to my diddle diddle dum
Rink to my dink, to my doddle. (Repeat chorus)
Now can you court, my pretty little miss?
And can you court, my flower?
I'll court more in a minute and a half
than you can in an hour.
Will you marry me, my pretty little miss?
Will you marry me, good looking?
I'll marry you but I won't do
Your washing or your cooking.