This is the current address of the version sung by Martin Carthy.

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Polly on the Shore

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.