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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: from B.F. Shelton's 1927 version;
Watch David Holt play Version 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIA2D0jfF6Q
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 B.F. Shelton's 1927 recording which has been reissued on 'Music of Kentucky Vol I' Yazoo 2013. The first commercial recording was by John Hammond (vcl/bjo) in 1925, but not issued until 1926. Here is the text of B.F. Shelton's 1927 version:
PRETTY POLLY [Shelton's 1927 version]
[Banjo]
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly would you think it unkind,
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly would you think it unkind,
If I sat down beside you and told you my mind?
I courted Pretty Polly the live-long night
I courted Pretty Polly the live-long night
Until it was next morning before it was light.
I led her over hills to valleys so deep
I led her over hills to the valley so deep
At last Pretty Polly's beginning to weep.
"Come on Pretty Polly, and go along with me,
Come on Pretty Polly, and go along with me,
Before we get married, some pleasure to see."
"Oh Willie, sweet Willie, I fear from your ways
Oh Willy, oh Willy, I fear from your ways,
The way you are ramblin' it's making me afraid."
She went a piece farther (to) see what she could spy
She went a piece farther (to) see what she could spy
A new dug grave and a spade lying by.
Had no time *weep and no time there to stand
Had no time weep and no time there to stand
He drew a knife holding in his right hand.
"Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you're guessing just right
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you're guessing about right
I dug on your grave six long hours all last night."
She threw her arms around him and suffered no tears
She threw her arms around him and suffered no tears
"How can you kill a girl that loves you so dear?"
He *stabbed her through the heart, her hearts blood did flow,
He stabbed her through the heart, her hearts blood it did flow,
And into the grave Prettty Polly did go.
Oh Willie, sweet Willie turn loose my hand,
Willie, sweet Willie turn loose my hand,
You see my heart's blood running around where you stand.
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.
*pronounced "stobbed"
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