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Pretty Polly/Gosport Tragedy/Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Pretty Polly; Painting by Richard L. Matteson Jr. C 2009
Old-Time, Song & Breakdown
ARTIST: Lyrics from Richard Matteson C2009 based on traditional lyrics. See on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJjrxxCNmc
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 Richard Matteson:
Matteson plays his version of Pretty Polly on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJjrxxCNmc
Recorded in Jan. 2010 in Louisville KY.
PRETTY POLLY [Richard Matteson C 2009]
PRETTY POLLY- Painting Lyrics
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly, would you take me unkind,
If I set beside you and told you my mind?
My mind is to marry and never to part,
The first time I saw you it wounded my heart.
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly come go along with me,
Before we get married some pleasures to see.
He led her over hills to the valley so deep,
At last Pretty Polly she began to weep.
Oh Willie, sweet Willie, I'm afraid to of your ways,
Your mind is to ramble and lead me astray.
She went a piece farther and what did she spy,
A new dug grave and a spade lying by.
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly, your guess is about right,
I dug on your grave the biggest part of last night.
She knelt down before him a-pleading for her life,
Let me be a single girl if I can't be your wife.
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly that never can be,
Your past recitation's been trouble to me.
He stabbed her through the heart, her blood it did flow,
And into the grave Pretty Polly did go.
He threw the dirt over her and turned to go home,
Leaving nothing behind him but the birds for to mourn.
A debt to the devil, now Willie must pay,
For killing Pretty Polly and running away.
PRETTY POLLY- Performance lyrics
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly, would you take me unkind,
Polly, Pretty Polly, would you take me unkind,
If I set beside you and told you my mind?
My mind is to marry and never to part,
My mind is to marry and never to part,
The first time I saw you it wounded my heart.
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly come go along with me,
Polly, Pretty Polly come go along with me,
Before we get married some pleasures to see.
He led her over hills to the valley so deep,
He led her over hills to the valley so deep,
At last Pretty Polly she began to weep.
Oh Willie, sweet Willie, I'm afraid to of your ways,
Willie, sweet Willie, I'm afraid to of your ways,
Your mind is to ramble and lead me astray.
She went a piece farther and what did she spy,
She went a piece farther and what did she spy,
A new dug grave and a spade lying by.
Oh 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 knelt down before him a-pleading for her life,
She knelt down before him a-pleading for her life,
Let me be a single girl if I can't be your wife.
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly that never can be,
Polly, Pretty Polly that never can be,
Your past recitation's been trouble to me.
He stabbed her through the heart, her blood it did flow,
He stabbed her through the heart, her blood it did flow,
And into the grave Pretty Polly did go.
He threw the dirt over her and turned to go home,
Threw the dirt over her and turned to go home,
Leaving nothing behind him but the birds for to mourn.
A debt to the devil, now Willie must pay,
A debt to the devil, now Willie must pay,
For killing Pretty Polly and running away.
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