|
Pretty Polly/Gosport Tragedy/Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Pretty Polly; Painting by Richard L. Matteson Jr. C 2009
Old-Time, Song & Breakdown
ARTIST: Bluegrass Messengers with special guest Cari Norris; Recorded Dec. 9, 2009; video by Austin Wilder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV8fnwYm58I
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: One source states: Gosport Tragedy was popular in England and colonies early 1700s; Printed source of Cruel Ship's Carpenter dates to 1767 (Journal from the Vaughn).
RECORDING INFO:
Estil C. Ball, "Pretty Polly" (on LomaxCD1701, LomaxCD1705); "Pretty Polly" (AFS, 1941; on LCTreas)
Frank Bode, "Pretty Polly" (on FBode1)
Dock Boggs, "Pretty Polly" (Brunswick 132A, 1927); (on Boggs1, BoggsCD1)
Coon Creek Girls, "Pretty Polly" (Vocalion 04659, 1939; Perfect 16102, 1935?)
Bill Cornett ,"Pretty Polly" (on MMOKCD)
Cranford & Thompson, "Pretty Polly" (Melotone 45092, 1935)
John Hammond, "Purty Polly" (Challenge 168, 1927)
Lester McFarland & Robert Gardner, "Pretty Polly" (Brunswick 116, 1927)
Ivor Melton & band, "Pretty Polly" (on Persis1)
Pleaz Mobley, "Pretty Polly" (on JThomas01)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Pretty Polly" (on NLCR13)
Jean Ritchie, "Pretty Polly" (on RitchieWatson1, RitchieWatsonCD1)
Sauceman Brothers, "Pretty Polly" (Rich-R-Tone 457, n.d.)
Pete Seeger, "Pretty Polly" (on PeteSeeger16)
Lee Sexton, "Pretty Polly" (on MMOKCD)
B. F. Shelton "Pretty Polly" (Victor 35838, 1927; on BefBlues1)
Stanley Brothers, "Pretty Polly" (Columbia 20770, 1951)
Pete Steele, "Pretty Polly" (AFS 1587/1702, 1938; on PSteele01, KMM)
Turner & Parkins, "Pretty Polly" (Superior 2635, 1931)
Jack Wallin, "Pretty Polly" (on Wallins1)
Shanachie 6040, Gerry Milnes & Lorraine Lee Hammond – “Hell Up Coal Holler” (1999). Tradition Records TLP 1007, Hobart Smith ‑ "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians" (1956).
RELATED TO: Gosport Tragedy; Cruel Ship's Carpenter
OTHER NAMES: Pretty Molly; Dying Polly; Oh Polly; Gosport Tragedy
SOURCES: Ceolas; Folk Index; Traditional Ballad Index; Mudcat
Randolph 153, "Pretty Polly" (2 texts plus an excerpt, 1 tune)
BrownII 64, "The Gosport Tragedy" (3 texts plus 1 excerpt and mention of 1 more; Laws lists the "A" text as P36A, and the rest as P36B, but "D" and probably "C" are "Pretty Polly")
Brewster 64, "Pretty Polly" (1 text plus a fragment)
Leach, pp. 698-700, "The Gosport Tragedy" (2 texts, but only the second goes with this piece; the first is, obviously, "The Gosport Tragedy")
Wyman-Brockway I, p. 79, "Pretty Polly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Wyman-Brockway II, p. 110, "Pretty Polly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fuson, pp. 69-70, "Pretty Polly" (1 text)
McNeil-SFB1, pp. 140-141, "Pretty Polly" (1 text, 1 tune)
JHCox 89, "Come, Pretty Polly" (3 texts, 1 tune)
JHCoxIIA, #17A-C, pp. 73-78, "Pretty Polly," "Come, Polly, Pretty Polly" (2 texts plus an excerpt, 2 tunes; the "A" text is the full "Cruel Ship's Carpenter" version; "B" is the short "Pretty Polly (II)"; the "C" fragment is too short to tell but has lyrics more typical of the latter)
MHenry-Appalachians, pp. 53-54, "" (1 text, very short even by the standards of this worn-down song)
Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 128-134, collectively titled "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter" but with individual titles "Pretty Polly," "Dying Polly," "Pretty Polly," "Pretty Polly," "Pretty Polly," "Oh, Polly!" (6 texts; 5 tunes on pp. 395-398; of these only the "C" text has a ghost; in "D" and "E" there is no ghost but Willie's ship sinks; these presumably should file with Laws P36, while "A," B," and "F" go here)
Lomax-FSUSA 84, "Pretty Polly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Darling-NAS, pp. 143-144, "Pretty Polly" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 227, "Pretty Polly" (1 text)
NOTES: Old‑Time, Air. Paul Clayton says the song was derived from an English broadside called "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter" or "Gosport Tragedy" in American tradition Polly is led over hills and deep valleys until finally murdered. Gerry Milnes calls it a “time-worn chestnut,” widely sung and played. The American version's plot is: Willie urges Polly to go riding with him "some pleasure to see" before they get married. Although she is "afraid of his ways," she comes, only to find her new-dug grave awaiting her. Willie kills and buries her and heads home (or out to sea) while the wild bird mourn.
"The Cruel Ship's Carpenter" dates back to England in 1767 found in a Journal from the Vaughn. The basic plot is: The carpenter gets the girl pregnant. They meet, allegedly to plan their wedding. He announces he spent the night digging her grave, then murders her. He flees to sea; her ghost follows to demand justice. His crime is revealed, and the man dies
Pretty Polly is a shortened form of "The Gosport Tragedy." Although no clear line between the two can be drawn "The Gosport Tragedy" includes the ghost and "Pretty Polly" omits it. Many if not most American versions are probably traceable back to B. F. Shelton's recording, which was enormously (and deservedly) popular.
According to J. M. Jarrell of Wayne Co., WV, cited by J. B. Cox in "Traditional Ballads Mainly From West Virginia," in the early 19th century one Polly Aldridge was murdered by William Chapman, who was convicted and executed in Martin Co., KY, and this ballad was being sung about the killing c. 1850.
Bluegrass recordings by Raph Stanley (1951 Stanley Brothers) and recently Patty Loveless with Ralph Stanley have kept this murder ballad popular in bluegrass circles. Some Stanley versions including a live version on Youtube omit the stabbing verse, I presume, as an attempt to make the song politically correct.
"Pretty Polly" from B.F. Shelton:
Another superb old-timey performance of this ballad is done Lily May Ledford and the Coon Creek Girls. This all-girl string band rose to fame in 1938 and became popular radio stars. After Lily May moved to Renfro Vally, KY with John Lair to start the new Renfro Vally show on location, the Coon Creek Girls had a new line-up featuring Lily May's sister Susie. Lily May learned Pretty Polly when she was a little girl growing up in Red River Kentucky during the late 1920s.
PRETTY POLLY [Bluegrasss Messengers with Cari Norris]
[Banjo clawhammer style] [vocal & lyrics Cari Norris]
Well I used to be a rounder, I've been around this town,
I used to be a rounder, been around this town,
I courted Pretty Polly I've been all around.
Oh where is Pretty Polly, oh yonder she stands?
Oh where is Pretty Polly, oh yonder she stands?
Diamonds on her fingers and her lily-white hands.
Polly, Pretty Polly, come go along with me,
Polly Pretty Polly, come go along with me,
Before we get married, some pleasure to see.
He led her over hills and valleys so deep,
He led her over hills and valleys so deep,
Then Pretty Polly she began to weep.
Willie, oh Willie, I'm afraid of your ways,
Willie, oh Willie, I'm afraid of your ways,
Afraid you are going to lead me astray.
[banjo]
Polly, Pretty Polly, your guess is about right,
Polly, Pretty Polly, your guess is about right,
I dug on your grave the biggest part of last night.
She went a little further and what did she spy,
She went a little further and what did she spy,
A new dug-in grave with a spade lying by.
She threw her arms around him and begged for her life,
She threw her arms around him and begged for her life,
Deep into her busom he plunged the fatal knife.
[banjo]
She fell to the ground and the blood it did flow,
She fell to the ground and the blood it did flow,
Then into her grave Prettty Polly did go.
He threw dirt around her and turned to go home
He threw dirt around her and turned to go home
No one behind but the birds to weep and mourn.
[banjo]
A debt to the devil Willie must pay,
A debt to the devil Willie must pay,
For killin' Pretty Polly and runnin' away.
[banjo outro]
|