Pretty Polly- Lewellen (MS) pre1936 Hudson B
[From Hudson, Folksongs of Mississippi- 1936. Stanza 6 is irregular and should have the second line combined with the first line.
R. Matteson 2014]
B. "Pretty Polly." copy from Miss Ethel Lewellen, central Academy, who wrote, "My mother raised nine children on this song."
1 "Come go along with me, Pretty Polly,
Come go along with me,
Come go along with me, Pretty Polly,
Down to the salt water sea, sea, sea,
Down to the salt water sea."
2 She arose, she mounted the milk-white coach,
She drove the iron bay,
She drove till she came to the salt water sea,
Three long hours before day, day, day,
Three long hours before day.
3 "Light down, light down, pretty Polly,
Light down," cried he.
"Right here I drowned six fair maids,
And the seventh one you shall be, be, be,
And the seventh one you shall be.
4 "Take off that fine silk dress, pretty Polly,
And wrap it around a stone;
It is too fine and costly
To rot in the salt water foam, foam, foam,
To rot in the salt water foam.
5 "Take off that fine gold ring, pretty Polly,
And lay it on my knee;
It is too fine and costly
To sink to the bottom of the sea, sea, sea,
To sink to the bottom of the sea."
6 "Go turn yourself around and about
And view those green leaves."
He turned himself around about,
She picked him up so manfully
And heaved him in the sea, sea, sea,
And heaved him in the sea.
7 "Take my hand, pretty Polly,
O take my hand," cried he.
"How can you bear to see me drown
And sink in the bottom of the sea, sea, sea,
And sink in the bottom of the sea?"
8 "Lie there, lie there, you false young man,
Lie there, lie there!" cried she.
"Right here you have drowned six fair maids
And would have drowned me, me, me,
If I hadn't drowned you."
g She arose, she mounted the milk-white coach,
She drove the iron gray,
She drove till she came to her father's house
One hour before day, day, day,
One hour before the day.
10 She awakened the poor old parrot
Who in his cage did lay.
"Where have you been, pretty Polly,
So long before day, day, day
So long before day?"
11 "Hush up, hush up, pretty parrot,
And don't tell no tales on me.
I'll make you a cage of gold and silver
And hang it in a willow tree, tree, tree,
And hang it in a willow tree."
12 He waked her poor old father
Who in his bed did lay.
"What is the matter with the poor little parrot
So long before day, day, day,
So long before day?"
13 "There are some old cats at my door,
All at my door do lay,
And I have wakened pretty Polly
To scare the old cats away, way, way,
To scare the old cats away."