Pretty Polly- B. F. Shelton (KY) 1927 Victor REC
[From Victor recording V1 35838 on July 29, 1927 at Bristol Sessions organized by Ralph Peer.
B. F. Shelton was a Clay county barber who played claw-hammer banjo, guitar and harmonica and lived in Corbin, Kentucky. The following short bio is from Wiki.
R. Matteson 2016]
Benjamin Frank Shelton (January 1, 1902 – February 28, 1963) was an American singer and banjoist who recorded a number of songs for Victor Records at the Bristol Sessions in Bristol, Tennessee on July 29, 1927.[1] Shelton traveled from Corbin, Kentucky where he worked as a barber to Bristol for the sessions with gospel singer and preacher Alfred Karnes. Four of the recordings survive today, "Darling Cora", "Pretty Polly", "Oh Molly Dear" and "Cold Penitentiary Blues". He recorded again, under the name Frank Shelton, for Columbia Records at the Johnson City Sessions in Johnson City, Tennessee in October 1928, but the recordings were not issued and have not survived.
PRETTY POLLY - sung by B.F. Shelton, 1927.
[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, see what she could spy
She went a piece farther, 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 Pretty 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"