A man that was old come a-courting one day
And the girls wouldn't have him
He come down the lane on a walking cane
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to give him a chair
For the girls wouldn't have him
I give him a chair and he looked mighty queer
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to hang up his hat
For the girls wouldn't have him
I hung up his hat and he kicked at the cat
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to give him some meat
For the girls wouldn't have him
I give him some meat, and oh how he did eat
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to give him the hoe
For the girls wouldn't have him
I give him the hoe and he jumped Jim Crow
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to give him the saw
For the girls wouldn't have him
I give him the saw and he played "Rye Straw"
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to put him to bed
For the girls wouldn't have him
I put him to bed and he stood on his head
With his overshoes on and his leggings

My mother she told me to send him away
For the girls wouldn't have him
I sent him away and he left Christmas Day
With his overshoes on and his leggings