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I learned this song from my mother. It’s part of a grand tradition of songs in which girls are strongly advised against consorting with young men from the neighbouring parish, county, state or whatever. The miserable repast the prospective brides are told to expect varies from “Johnny cake and venison” (which doesn’t sound all that bad!) to “hoecake and hominy”, “cornbread and buttermilk” and “cornbread and bacon”.

It’s been asserted that this family of songs originated from the blackface minstrel song ‘De Free Nigger’, published by Firth & Hall in 1841 “as sung by R. W. Pelham in the principal theatres, in the United States,” which begins:

Come all you Virginia gals and listen to my noise
Neber do you wed wid de Carolina boys,
For if dat you do your portion it will be
Corn cake and harmony [hominy?] and Jango lango tea

In their book Songs of the Great American West (1995), Irwin Silber and Earl Robinson describe how the song made the rounds of the country:

In the Ozarks, they told the Tennessee girls not to marry the Arkansas boys, while the Arkansas girls were similarly warned against the Missouri boys, and Louisiana girls were advised to guard against the Texas clan.... The song traveled to Wyoming, where young ladies were urged to scorn the Cheyenne boys, and out near the Great Salt Lake, the disciples of Brigham Young fashioned their own wry parody on themselves:

Come, girls, come, and listen to my noise,
Don’t you marry the Mormon boys,
For if you do, your fortune it will be,
Johnnycakes and babies are all you’ll see.

lyrics

Come on all you Virginia gals and listen to my noise
Don’t you mess around with West Virginia boys
If’n you do your ration will be
Cornbread, molasses and sassafras tea

When he comes a-courtin’ he’ll bring along a chair
First thing he’ll say, my daddy killed a deer
Next thing he’ll say, before he sits down
Honey can you bake your Johnny cakes brown

When he comes a-courtin’, tell you what he’ll wear
Long tail coat, just about to tear
Pair of old boots with the tops turned down
Pair of cotton socks that he wears the year round

When he comes a-courtin’ he’ll whisper in your ear
First it’s honey lamb and then it’s dear
After you’re married, no such thing
Get up and fix my breakfast, you good-for-nothin’ thing

Come on all you Virginia gals and listen to my noise
Don’t you mess ’round with West Virginia boys
If’n you do your ration will be
Cornbread, molasses and sassafras tea

credits

from I Won​’​t Go Home ’Til Morning, released October 28, 2008
Trad arr. S. McQuaid/G. O’Beirne
Sarah – vocals
Liam Bradley – percussion

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Sarah McQuaid Penzance, UK

“One of the most instantly recognisable voices in current music … Shades of Joni Mitchell in a jam with Karen Carpenter and Lana Del Rey.” —Neil March, Trust The Doc

“Captivating, unorthodox songwriting … layered satin vocals ... enthralling, harrowing arrangements … a gateway into a true innovator’s soul.” —PopMatters

See sarahmcquaid.com/about for more info. ... more

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