Pretty Polly

Cat. #0398 (MFH #346) - As sung by Donia Cooper, West Fork, Arkansas on August 19, 1959

VERSE 1
Go get me a part of your Fathers gold
An' a part of your Mothers fee
An' two steeds from your Fathers stable
Where there are thirty and three, three, three
Where there are thirty an' 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 th main Scotland
An' there I'll marry thee, thee, thee
An' there I'll marry thee

VERSE 4
She mounted upon th 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 th seventh shall be, be, be
An' you th 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 th leaves of th tree
Your face to th sands of th 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 th leaves of th tree
His face to th sands of th sea
An' with all of th strength that pretty Polly had
She pushed 'im into th sea, sea, sea
She pushed him into th 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, th king over them shall be
An' you, th king over them shall be

VERSE 11
She mounted upon th bonny, bonny black
She led th 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 yalt
Don't ya tell no tales on me
A' th gate of your cage shall be decked in gold
An' hung on th 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 yalt
Well turned, well turned for me
Your cage shall be made of hand beaten gold
An' th door of pure ivory, ivory
An' th door of pure ivory

Variants