Pretty Polly (Collected by Genevieve Lehr and Anita Best)

I said: "Pretty Polly, can I have a night with you?"
I said: "Pretty Polly, can I have a night with you?"
Slowly she cried: "You can if you wish to."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

Well, she went up the stairs for to do up her beddie,
She went up the stairs for to do up her beddie;
Slowly she cried: "Come on I am ready."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

"Well, your room door is locked, love, and I cannot enter,
Your room door is locked, love, and I cannot enter."
Slowly she cried: "Come burst it asunder."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

Well, he put his knee agin' it and he burst it asunder
He put his knee agin' it and he burst it asunder.
And slowly she cried: "Come in and lie under."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

"Well, your breeches is tight, love, and I can't undo them,
Your breeches is tight, love, and I can't undo them.
Slowly she cried: "Take a knife and run through them."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

"Well, I got no knife on me, sure that's a great wonder,
I got no knife on me, sure that's a great wonder."
Slowly she cried: "I have two on the window."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

"Well, your lamp is gone out, love, and I cannot find them,
Your lamp is gone out, love, and I cannot find them."
Slowly she cried: "Jump in bed and don't mind it."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

Well, they jumped into bed and 'twas tumble o jumble,
They jumped into bed and 'twas tumble o jumble.
Slowly she cried: ". . . ."
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

At six months being over pretty Polly fell a-weeping,
At six months being over pretty Polly fell a-weeping -
That's what she got by her snoring and sleeping.
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

The ninth month being over pretty Polly fell asunder,
The ninth month being over pretty Polly fell asunder -
That's what she got by her night lying under.
Fol-a dee, fol-a dair-o, fol-a dair-o-I-dee.

####.... Author unknown ....####

Collected in 1978 from Dorman Ralph of St. John's, NL, by Genevieve Lehr and Anita Best and published as #89 in Come And I Will Sing You: A Newfoundland Songbook, pp.156-157, edited by Genevieve Lehr (University of Toronto Press © 1985/2003).

Genevieve Lehr noted that this song is a great favourite of Dorman who sang it with much gusto while accompanying himself, as he usually does, on the accordion. Pretty Polly is also known in Newfoundland as The Young Doctor with the following as the first verse of the song:

I am a young doctor and my price is one penny,
I am a young doctor and my price is one penny -
For curing young girls with a pain in their belly.
With me wack fol-a dol fol-a dair-ol-o-day!

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