[Verse 1] I’ll sing you a song and it’s not very long It’s about a young man who wouldn’t hoe corn The reason why I can’t tell This young man was always well [Verse 2] He planted his corn in the month of June And by July it was knee high First of September there came a big frost And all this young man’s corn was lost [Verse 3] He went to the fence and there peeked in The weeds and the grass grew up to his chin The weeds and the grass they grew so high It caused this young man for to sigh [Verse 4] He went down to his neighbour’s door Where he had often been before Saying “Pretty little miss will you marry me? Pretty little miss what do you say?” [Verse 5] “Here you are a wanting for to wed And cannot make your own cornbread Single I am and single I’ll remain A lazy man I won’t maintain [Verse 6] Well he went down to a pretty little wider And I hope by heck that he don’t get her She gave him the mitten as sure as you’re born And all because he wouldn’t hoe corn.