Pretty Polly Ann- Ollie Gilbert 1963; Ozark version of "Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight” Child 4
[The title is a mystery; why "Pretty Polly Ann" instead of "Pretty Polly"? I'm leaving it because it surely was Gilbert's title. The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection; Recorded in spring 1963 by John Quincy Wolf, Jr.
Gilbert was also recorded by Max Hunter in 1969.
R. Matteson Jr. 2014]
PRETTY POLLY ANN (LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNGHT)
Sung by: Ollie Gilbert of Mountain View, Arkansas; The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection; Recorded in spring 1963 by John Quincy Wolf, Jr
[Listen to Ollie Gilbert]
“Light down, light down, pretty Polly,
Light down to your knees.
Those clothes too fine and costly
To lie and rot in the sea, sea, sea,
To lie and rot in the sea.”
“Oh, turn your back to me, Willy dear,
Turn your face to the sea.”
She caught him around his little neat waist,
And tossed him into the sea, sea, sea,
And tossed him into the sea.
“Help me out, Pretty Polly,
Help me out of the sea,
And we will go to yonders town,
And married we will be, be, be,
Married we will be.”
“Lay there, lay there, you wicked villain;
I’d rather be you as me,
For the six king’s daughters you have drowned,
And the seventh you shall be, be, be,
The seventh you shall be.”
She lit up on her milk-white steed,
And off a dapple gray.
She rode ‘til she came to her father’s house,
Three hours ‘twas ‘fore day, day, day,
Three hours ‘twas ‘fore day.
“What’s the matter, what’s the matter, Pretty Polly,
Raised so long before day?
Is a cat at my cage door, threading off my life?
I’ll call Pretty Polly to drive it away,
In the length of the long summer day,
In the length of the long summer day.
“Hush up, hush up, Pretty Polly;
Don’t you tell no false on me.
I’ll have you cage of the finest beaten gold
Hung on the high willow tree, tree, tree,
Hung on the high willow tree.”
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[Max Hunter recording 1969]
VERSE 1
Light down, light down, pretty Polly
Light down to your knee
Your clothes to fine an' costly
To lie an' rot in the sea, sea, sea
To lie an' rot in the sea
VERSE 2
O, turn you back to me, Willie dear
An' turn your face to the sea
She caught 'im around his little neat waist
An' tossed 'im in to the sea, sea, sea
Tossed 'im in to the sea
VERSE 3
O, he'p me up, Pretty Polly
He'p me out of the sea
We will go t' yonders town
An' married we will be, be, be
An' married we will be
VERSE 4
Lay there, lay there, you weakened villian
I'd drather be you as me
For the six king daughters you have drowned
An' the seventh you shall be, be, be
An' the seventh you shall be
VERSE 5
She lit upon her milk white steed
And off'a the dample gray
She rode till she came to her father's house
Three hours it was 'fore day, day, day
Three hours it was 'fore day
VERSE 6
What's a'matter, what's a'matter, pretty parrot,
You pray so long 'fore day
It is the cat at my cage door
Threaten not my life
I'm a callin' pretty Polly t' drive it away
In the len'th of a long summer day, day, day
In the len'th of a long summer day
VERSE 7
Hush up, hush up, pretty parrot
Don't ya tell no false on me
I'll have you caged of the finest beaten gold
Hung on the high willow tree, tree, tree
Hung on the high willow tree