X:103
T:Pretty Polly
T:Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
C:Trad
B:Bronson
O:Davis, "Traditional Ballads of Virginia",I929, p. 54g(B);
O:text, pp. 65-67. Sung by Hill Jackson (Negro), Brown's Cove,
O:Va., June I, I9I7. Collected by Miss D. R. Martin, J. M. McManaway;
O:music noted by John Stone, November 3, I920.
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C % Hexatonic ( -4) Lydian/Ionian
E | G G c c | B A G E | G G c E |
w:He followed me up, he followed me down, He followed me all the
G3 E | G G/G/ c c | B A G E |
w:way; I had not the heart to say one word, Nor
G G G D | E G G D | G G G D | C3 |]
w:heart to say him nay, nay, nay, Nor heart to say him nay.
W:
W:"He followed me up, he followed me down,
W:He followed me all the way;
W:I had not the heart to say one word,
W:Nor heart to say him nay, nay, nay,
W:Nor heart to say him nay."
W:
W:"You get all of your father's gold,
W:Likewise your mother's fee,
W:And two of your father's best horses
W:Which are of thirty and three,
W:And come along with me."
W:
W:She jumped upon the bonny, bonny, brown,
W:And he the piebald bay,
W:And rode along by the broad water side
W:That lonely lazy summer day, day, day,
W:That long summer day.
W:
W:"Set you down, set you down, Pretty Polly,
W:And chat a while with me;
W:For here I've drownded six king's daughters,
W:And you were the seventh to be, to be,
W:And you were the seventh to be."
W:
W:"No, Jimmy, my pretty Jimmy,
W:That's not what you promised me;
W:You promised to take me to the marriage land,
W:And there to marry me, me, me,
W:And there to marry me."
W:
W:"Pull off, pull off those costly robes,
W:And hang them on yonder tree;
W:They are too costly and fine
W:To swim in the salt water sea, sea, sea,
W:To swim in the salt water sea."
W:
W:"Turn your face about
W:Into the leaves of the tree."
W:She picked him up in her arms so strong
W:And plunged home [sic] into the sea, sea, sea,
W:And plunged home into the sea.
W:
W:"Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted wretch,
W:Lie there, instead of me;
W:Six king's daughters you've drownded there,
W:And I the seventh was to be, be, be,
W:And I the seventh was to be."
W:
W:"Oh no, Polly, oh no, Polly,
W:All I want is help from thee,
W:And if I get to shore again,
W:I'm sure to marry thee, thee, thee,
W:I'm sure to marry thee."
W:
W:She jumped upon the bonny, bonny, brown,
W:And he the piebald bay,
W:And arrived at her father's house
W:Three hours before 't was day, day, day,
W:Three hours before 't was day.
W:
W:She put the gold into its place,
W:And the horses where its would be,
W:And arrived into her chamber fair,
W:Two hours before 't was day, day, day,
W:Two hours before 't was day.
W:
W:Then up rised that pretty parrot
W:. . . . . . . .
W:"Oh, what are you doing up
W:So long before't was day, day, day,
W:So long before 't was day?"
W:
W:"Set you down, get you down, Pretty Polly,
W:Don't tell no tales on me;
W:Your cage shall be made of hand-beaten gold,
W:The door out of ivory, -ry, -ry,
W:The door out of ivory."
W:
W:Then up rose that good old man,
W:Then up rose that good old man.
W:"What are you doing up
W:So long before 'tis day, day, day,
W:So long before 'tis day?"
W:
W:"There are three cats at my cage door,
W:Trying to do violence to me,
W:And I'm just call (-ing) Miss Polly
W:To drive those cats away, -way, -way,
W:To drive those cats away."