Pretty Polly- Sung by Donia Cooper, West Fork, Arkansas on August 19, 1959;
[From Max Hunter Folk Song Collection also in the Ozark Folklore Collection. Some minor corrections made. The MS has August 14, 1959.
R. Matteson 2011 2014]
PRETTY POLLY - As sung by Donia Cooper, West Fork, Arkansas on August 19, 1959
Listen: http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=0398
VERSE 1: Go get me a part of your Father's gold
And a part of your Mother's fee
And two steeds from your Fathers stable
Where there are thirty and three, three, three
Where there are thirty and three.
VERSE 2
She got him a part of her Fathers gold
An' a part of 'er Mothers fee
An' two steeds from her Fathers stable
Where there were thirty and three, three, three
Where there were thirty and three
VERSE 3
O, rise you up my pretty Polly
O, rise you up for me
I'll take you to the main Scotland
An' there I'll marry thee, thee, thee
An' there I'll marry thee
VERSE 4
She mounted upon the bonny, bonny black
An' he on th dark iron gray
They rode till they came to th salt, salt sea
In th length of a long summer day, day, day
In th length of a long summer day
VERSE 5: O, light you down my Pretty Polly
O, light you down for me
Six kings daughters have I drowned here
An' you the seventh shall be, be, be
An' you the seventh shall be
VERSE 6: Take off, take off, those fine silk clothes
An' fold them upon your knees
For their to rich and to costly
For t' rot all in th salt sea, sea, sea
For t' rot all in th salt sea
VERSE 7: You turn your back to the leaves of th tree
Your face to th sands of the sea
For it's not fit an' proper that a man
A naked woman to see, see, see
A naked woman should see
VERSE 8: He turned his back to the leaves of th tree
His face to th sands of the sea
An' with all of th strength that pretty Polly had
She pushed 'im into the sea, sea, sea
She pushed him into the sea
VERSE 9: O, reach to me your lily white hand
Let me hold of your apron strings
An' every vow I made unto thee
I'll double them over again an' again
I'll double them over again
VERSE 10: Lie there, lie there, you false hearted villian
For it's what you promised me
Six kings daughters have you drown here
But you, the king over them shall be
An' you, the king over them shall be
VERSE 11: She mounted upon the bonny, bonny black
She led the dark iron gray
She rode till she came to her Fathers dwelling
Two hours before it was day, day, day
Two hours before it was day
VERSE 12: Don't crow, dont' crow, my pretty little parrot[1]
Don't ya tell no tales on me
A' the gate of your cage shall be decked in gold
An' hung on the green willow tree, tree, tree
An' hung on a green willow tree
VERSE 13: Up spoke the ole man, in his room so still
What's a matter, pretty Polly
What makes you talk so long
Before it is day, day, day
What makes you talk so long
Before it is day
VERSE 14
A cat is jumping around my cage
Trying to worry me
I thought I'd call pretty Polly here
To drive that ole cat away, way, way
To drive that ole cat away
VERSE 15
Well turned, well turned, my pretty little parrot[1]
Well turned, well turned for me
Your cage shall be made of hand beaten gold
An' the door of pure ivory, ivory
An' the door of pure ivory
1. informant sing something resembling parrot here, original has 'yacht', haha, mondegreen of the week!