Twenty years on from an offering of the tune (as per "Singing Together") which many of us may have learned in school:

POLLY OLIVER
Trad

As sweet Polly Oliver lay musing in bed,
A sudden strange fancy came into her head;
‘Nor Father nor Mother shall make me false prove,
I'll ‘list for a soldier and follow my love!’

So early next morning she softly arose,
And dressed herself up in her dead brother's clothes;
She cut her hair close and she stained her face brown,
And went for a soldier to fair London Town.

Then up spake the sergeant one day at his drill:
‘Now who's good at nursing? a captain lies ill!’
‘I’m ready,’ says Polly; to nurse him she's gone,
And finds ‘tis her true love all wasted and wan.

The first week the doctor kept shaking his head;
‘No nursing, young fellow, can save him,’ he said,
But when Polly Oliver had nursed back his life,
He cried, ‘You have cherished him as if you were his wife!’

Oh then Polly Oliver she burst into tears,
And told the good doctor her hopes and her fears;
And very soon after, for better or worse,
The Captain, took joyfully his pretty soldier nurse!

X: 1
T:Polly Oliver
M:3/4
L:1/4
S: Singing Together Spring 1975
Z: NP 16/01/2021
K:Eb
B| e/B/ G A/c/ | B/G/ E F/A/ | G/E/ C D | E2 B | edc | B/G/ E F | (G/E/) C D | E2 B | cde| (f/d/) B (c/d/) | e G =A |B2 B | (c/d/) e f | d (B/A/) (G/F/) | E3/2 F/ G | c2 d | e d c | (B/G/) E F | (G/E/) C D | E2||
w: | | | | * As sweet Pol-ly O-li-ver lay mu_sing in bed, A sud-den strange fan_cy came_ in-to her head; ‘Nor Fa_ther nor Mo-ther_ shall_ make me false prove, I'll ‘list for a sol_dier and fol_-low my love!’


Taken from the BBC Schools broadcasts booklet "Singing Together" Spring term 1975
This includes a brief melodic intro.
NP