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Pretty Polly Ann/Little Betty Ann/ Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
Traditional Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA, Texas
ARTIST: From Talley; Negro Folk Rhymes
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes; DATE: 1922 Talley
RECORDING INFO Little Betty Ann: Seeger, Mike. Music From the True Vine, Mercury SRMI-627, LP (1972), cut# 10; Sovine, Melanie. Appalachian Folk Music, Sovine WHA-0142LP, LP (197?), cut#A.01; Ashby, John; and the Free State Ramblers. Fiddling by the Hearth, County 773, LP (1979), cut# 12; Ashby, John. Devil's Box, Devil's Box DB, Ser (196?), 18/4, p49; Ashlock, Jesse. Texas Sand; Anthology of Western Swing, Rambler 101, LP (198?), cut# 13; Chapman, Owen "Snake". Fiddle Ditty, June Appal JA 0061C, Cas (1990), cut# 8;
OTHER NAMES: “Betty Ann” "Fly Around my Pretty Little Miss," ‘Western Country,” "Polly Ann." “Blue-Eyed Girl,” "Susannah Gal," "Blue Eyed Miss," “Fly Around My Pretty Little Pink”
RELATED TO: "Shady Grove," “Liza Jane” “Weevily Wheat" (floating lyrics); "Coffee Grows (Four in the Middle)" (floating lyrics); "Up and Down the Railroad Track" (floating lyrics); "Missus in the Big House" (meter). “Say, Darling, Say;” “Where Are You Going;” “Washing Mama's Dishes;” “Black Jack Davy” (Tune); “Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees,”
SOURCES: From English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians, Sharp, MIT Press, Sof (1968), p 78 (Betty Ann); From “Far in the Mountains” web-site;
NOTES: Pretty Polly Ann AKA "Betty Anne" and "Little Betty Ann" is one of the Appalachian versions of "Fly Around my Pretty Little Miss." Cecil Sharp collected one set of Little Betty Ann from Ellie Johnson of Hot Springs, Madison County, NC, in 1916. The 1916 date precedes Samantha Bumgarner's 1924 recording entitled "Fly Around my Pretty Little Miss," by eight years. There are many floater fiddle tune lyrics with "Shady Grove," "Fly Around my Pretty Little Miss," and "Liza Jane" in this fiddle-tune family.
The ozark title Pretty Polly Ann, is related to Child No. 4 "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight" (Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, 1882-1898). That is a different song entirely. Pretty Polly Ann some times is used in versions of Pretty Polly, also a different song.
Eck Roberston played a version he titled, "Lonesome Polly Ann." The title also pops up in various old-time songs:
GRAY CAT ON THE TENNESSEE FARM (Uncle Dave Macon)
I do love liquor and I will take a dram
I'm going to tell you, pretty Polly Ann.
PRETTY POLLY ANN- Thomas Talley
Negro Folk Rhymes 1922
I'se gwineter marry if I can,
I'se gwineter marry Pretty Polly Ann.
I axed Polly Ann, fer to marry
She said she's a-lookin' for a *man dat's free.
Pretty Polly Ann, dressed so fine,
I'll bet five dollars she hain't got a dime.
Pretty Polly Ann's jes a-puttin' on airs,
She won't notice me, but nobody cares.
I'll drop Polly Ann, lookin' lak a crane,
I 'spects I'll marry Little Liza Jane.
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