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Polly on the Shore

[Trad. arr. Martin Carthy]

Polly on the Shore was sung by Martin Carthy on his 1969 album with Dave Swarbrick, Prince Heathen, and reissued on the compilation A Collection. He commented in the original album's sleeve notes:

A song about that most beautiful and most precarious of emotions - resignation, and with a tune to match.

Shirley and Dolly Collins recorded Polly on the Shore one year later for their album Love, Death & the Lady; this was re-isued in 2002 on their anthology Within Sound. She commented in the original album's sleeve notes:

From George Maynard, of Copthorne, Sussex. It was one of the great good fortunes in my life to hear George sing in the flesh, back in 50's. Even though he was then in his eighties, he was still able to sing tunefully and gracefully, and had a remarkable stock of songs. He was a complete countryman, and well-known as a marbles and shove ha'penny player. I loved George because he reminded me of my Grandad, wh had died a couple of years before. This song epitomes George to me, with its sweetness and dignity.

George “Pop” Maynard's own recording was reissued on the Topic anthologies Hidden English: A Celebration of English Traditional Music and English Originals.

Trevor Lucas sang Polly on the Shore on Fairport Convention's album Nine. This is probably Trevor Lucas' finest Fairport track. It was reissued on the double CD compilation Meet on the Ledge: The Classic Years 1967-1975. The version on the Fairport unConventioNal 4CD set is from a promotional video which, however, is the studio take compressed and in worse quality.

A live version with Trevor Lucas from Cropredy 1982 was released on the cassette (and later on, CD) A.T. 2. Another - 1993 - Cropredy version with Ralph McTell singing is available on the 25th Anniversary Concert.

Lyrics

Martin Carthy sings

Come all you wild young men
And a warning take by me,
Never to lead your single life astray
And into no bad company.

As I myself have done,
It being in the merry month of May,
|: When I was pressed by a sea-captain
And on board a man-o-war I was sent. :|

We sailed on the ocean so wide
And our bonny bonny flag we let fly.
Let every man stand true to his gun
For the Lord knows who must die.

Oh our captain was wounded full sore
And so were the rest of his men.
Our main mast rigging it was scattered on the deck
So that we were obliged to give in.

Oh our decks they were spattered with blood
And so loudly the cannons did roar;
|: And thousands of times have I wished myself at home
And all along with my Polly on the shore. :|

She's a tall and a slender girl,
She's a dark and a-rolling eye,
|: And here am I lie a-bleeding on the deck
And for her sweet sake I would die. :|

So farewell to me parents and me friends,
Farewell my dear Polly too.
|: I'd ne'er would have crossed this salt sea so wide
If I had have been ruled by you. :|

Shirley Collins sings

Come all you wild young men
And a warning take by me,
Never to lead your single life astray
And into no bad company.

As I myself have a-done,
It being in the merry month of May,
When I was pressed by a sea-captain
On board a man-o-war I was sent.

Now we sailed on the ocean so wide
And our bonny, bonny flag we let fly.
Let every man stand true to his guns
For the Lord knows who must die.

And our captain was wounded full sore
And so were the rest of his men.
Our main mast rigging was scattered on the deck
So that we were obliged to give in.

And the decks were all spattered with blood
And so loudly the cannons did roar;
And thousands of times have I wished myself at home
And all along with my Polly on the shore.

She's a tall and a slender girl,
She's a dark and a-roving eye,
But here am I lie a-bleeding on the deck
And for her sweet sake I shall die.

So farewell to me parents and me friends,
Farethewell, my dear Polly too.
|: I never should have crossed this salt sea so wide
If I had have been ruled by her. :|

Trevor Lucas sings

Come all you wild young men and a warning take by me
Never lead your single life astray or into bad company
As I myself have done, being all in the month of May
When I, as pressed by a sea captain, a privateer to trade
To the East Indies we were bound to plunder the raging main
And it's many the brave and a galliant ship we sent to a watery grave
Ah, for Freeport we did steer, our provisions to renew
When we did spy a bold man-of-war sailing three feet to our two

Oh, she fired across our bows, “Heave to and don't refuse
Surrender now unto my command or else your lives you'll lose”
And our decks they were sputtered with blood
And the cannons did loudly roar
And broadside and broadside a long time we lay
Till we could fight no more
And a thousand times I wished meself alone,
All alone with me Polly on the shore

She's a tall and a slender girl with a dark and a-rolling eye
And here am I, a-bleeding on the deck
And for a sweet saint must die
Farewell, me family and me friends, likewise me Polly too
I'd never have crossed the salt sea wide
If I'd have been ruled by you
And a thousand times I saw meself again,
All alone with me Polly on the shore

Acknowledgements

Transcribed from the singing of Martin Carthy by Garry Gillard.