Willie Came Over the Main Wide Ocean-
[From Max Hunter Folk Song Collection as sung by Mr. Fred High, High, Arkansas on February 11, 1959. Certainly the title could be "Willie and Polly" or "Pretty Polly." Edited for minor spelling and punctuation.
There are three other extant versions with this opening stanza.
R. Matteson 2011; 2014]
WILLIE CAME OVER THE MAIN WIDE OCEAN- As sung by Mr. Fred High, High, Arkansas on February 11, 1959
Listen: http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=0317
VERSE 1: Willie came over the main wide ocean
An', Willie came over the sea
An', Willie came to my father's house
Come a-courting home with me, me, me
Come a-courting home with me.
VERSE 2: He follered me up, he follered me down
He follered me far an' near
I had no tongue to tell 'im to stay
No tongue to tell 'im to go nor stay
VERSE 3: Go get half of your father's estate
An' part of your mother's fee
An' two of your father's best horses
An' married we will be, be, be
An' married we will be
VERSE 4: They marched right out to the barn door
Took choice among thirty an' three, three, three
For they were thirty and eight
VERSE 5: She got part of 'er father's estate
An' part of her mother's fee
An' two of her father's best horses
VERSE 6: She [1] mounted on the snow white beast
An', Willie the dapple-da gray
An', they rode till they come to the salty water sea
At the length of a long summer day, day, day
At the length of a long summer day.
VERSE 7: Go light you down my pretty Polly
Go light you down, says he
For six kind daughters I've drowned here
An' the seventh you will be, be, be
An' the seventh you will be
VERSE 8: Go pull off that silken dress
That's made of silk so fine
For it is to costly to lie
An' rot in the salty water sea, sea, sea
To rot in the salty water sea
VERSE 9: Go turn your face all around an' about
Turn your back on t' me
An' think what a shame an' a scandal would be
For naked woman to see, see, see
For a naked woman to see
VERSE 10: He turned his face all around an' about
An' turned his back on t' me
I grabbed him by th slim long waist
An' I tossed 'im in th deep blue sea, sea, sea
An' I tossed 'im in th deep blue sea
VERSE 11: Reach down your hand, reach down your hands
Reach down your hands, for me
For six kind daughters you've drowned here
An', the seventh you won't be, be, be
An', the seventh you won't be
VERSE 12: Lie there, lie there, you cruel-hearted feller
Lie there in the place of me
For six kind daughters you've drowned here
An' the seventh you will be, be, be
An' the seventh you will be.
VERSE 13: She mounted on the snow white beast
An' leading the dapple-da gray
An', she rode back to her father's house
Two long hours before it was day, day, day
Two long hours before it was day.
VERSE 14: "Where have you been, my pretty Polly
Where have you been?" says he.
I've been with the richest man in the state
An' drowned 'im in the sea, sea, sea
An' drowned 'im in the sea.
1 originally, He