Pretty Polly- G. Gadsey (KY) 1925 Henry A
[From: Mellinger E. Henry's Folk Songs From the Southern Highlands, 1938. His notes follow. Also in Henry's More Songs from the Southern Highlands; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 44, No. 171 (Jan. - Mar., 1931), pp. 61-115.
The first and last stanzas are unusual. This version has Willie boarding a ship which sinks (cf. House Carpenter), one Appalachian addition to the standard ballad.
R. Matteson 2016]
COME, PRETTY POLLY See Campbell and Sharp, No. 39; Kittredge, Journal, XX, 261; Wyman and Brockway, 79; New Jersey Journal of Education, March, 1926. For full history of this song see Cox's head-note to No. 89.
A. "Pretty Polly." Obtained from Granville Gadsey, who sang it at Guerrant, Breathitt County, Kentucky, July, 1925.
1. I saw a girl in London,
Her name I could not tell.
I saw a girl in London,
I love her so well.
2. Oh, wonder where is pretty Polly?
Oh, yonder she stands,
Gold rings on her fingers,
Her lily-white hand.
3. "Come along, pretty Polly,
Go along with me;
Before we get married,
Some pleasure we'll see."
6. She threw both arms around him
Begging for hearts and tears:
"How can you kill a poor girl
That loves you so well?"
7. He led her over the hollow,
The valley so deep.
The[1] last of pretty Polly;
Begin to mourn and weep.
8. "Us go along a few steps farther
And see what we can spy:
A new dugging [grave][2]
And a spade lying by.
9. "No time for to study,
No time for to stand;
Gold rings on your fingers, [3]
Your lily-white hand."
10. He drew a knife all out of his pocket,
All in his right hand.
He stabbed it to her heart;
The blood began to float down.
11. In the new dugging grave
Pretty Polly did go.
He threw the dirt over her
And started for home.
12. [He][4] left nothing behind
But the wild birds to mourn.
13. He stepped on the ship with his "hark[5]
And welcome tend;"
The ship struck a rock
To the bottom it did go.
14. The death[6] of the devil Willie,
Have to pay
For killing pretty Polly
And running away.
15. Oh, wonder where is pretty Polly!
Oh, yonder she goes,
Rings on her fingers
And corns on her toes.
1. At last Pretty Polly
2. probably "dug in"; "grave" missing, see stanza 11
3. The last two lines are misplaced and already appear- they should be omitted entirely.
4. "He" missing
5. ?
6. debt; Willie should start the second line; Willie have to pay.