Chords - Polly Von

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 02:20 PM

"The name is Celtic-influenced, and it translates as "little"

I know that was posted two years ago and more, but with the thread reopened it's as well to point out that it certinly doesn't translate as "little" inIrish. "Bán" means "white" - which is why the poor girl got taken for a swan in the dark.

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 06:53 AM

The Fowler (from Harry Cox of Norfolk)

Come all you young fellows that follow the gun
I would have you come home by the light of the sun
For young Jimmy was a fowler who went fowling all alone
And he shot his own true love by mistake for a swan.

And it's home came young Jimmy with his dog and his gun
Crying 'Uncle dear uncle do you know what I've done?
Oh cursed be that gunsmith who has made me my gun
For I've been and shot my true love, I mistook her for a swan.'

Then out came his uncle with his locks hanging grey
Saying 'Jimmy dear Jimmy don't you run away
Don't you leave your own country till your trial comes on
For you never will be hanged for the shooting of a swan.'

All the girls in this country they're all pleased you know
Just to see pretty Polly down a-lying so low
You could stand them on a mountain, you could put them in a row
And her beauty would shine among them like a fountain of snow.'

The the trial it cam on and pretty Polly did appear
Saying 'uncle dear uncle let Jimmy go clear
With my apron thrown over me he mistook me for a swan
And he shot his own true love, 'twas Polly his own.'

Yes, indeed, some optician should make use of this.

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Acorn4
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 06:17 AM

Love the version by Julie Murphy with Martin Simpson on guitar.

A folk song which should be sponsored by Specsavers!

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Artful Codger
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 02:53 AM

Was she "shooting pool with the guys of The Swan"? ;-}


Here's a broadside version, transcribed from a Bodley scan:
Harding B 16(152d); between 1802 and 1819

Molly Whan.

Printed and sold by J. Pitts 14 Great st. Andrew street 7 Dials [London]

A story, a story, to you I'll relate,
Of a loving young damsel a Maying she went,
As she was a Maying a shower it began,
she went under the green bush the shower to shun,

As Jemmy was fowling with his dog and his gun.
He to his great grief shot his dear Molly Whan.
And when he came to her and found it was she,
His limbs they did tremble his eyes could scarce see

Then home to his father away he did run,
saying father dear father great harm have I done
I've shot the fairest creature that ever was known,
I have shot my true love my dear Molly Whan.

His father came running with hair handing grey,
Saying Jemmy love, Jemmy love don't run away
Stay in your own country 'till trial come on,
I'll warrant you'll be righted by the laws of the land

In two or three nights after the lady did appear,
saying uncle loveing uncle pray let my love clear
For my apron hung round me took me for a swan
But to his great grief shot his dear Molly Whan

set them up all together stand them all in a row,
Molly Whan was the fairest like mountain of snow,
Curse light upon Toby who lent me his gun,
Which to my great grief shot my dear Molly Whan.


I like how he tries to pawn off some of the blame on his friend Toby. Will the animal transformation proponents claim the gun had a hare-trigger?

Artful "Leave Them Groaning" Codger

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: RTim
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 11:34 AM

"Stun" should be of course "Shun" - Just a bad spelling error - not collected by the spell checker

Tim

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Anne Lister
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 11:21 AM

"a shower to stun"? I've always sung it as "shun", which makes sense, at least.

I remember that when I sang this (when I was working with Mary McLaughlin as Anonyma) we were puzzled when someone requested "the song about the pub". After a lot of questions we finally established it was Polly Vaughan/Molly Bawn, and the reason it was thought to be about a pub was the listener had heard "in the room of the Swan".

Not a mondegreen, but creative, huh?

Anne

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: RTim
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 10:26 AM

This is great version from Hampshire I have been singing for years.

POLLY VAUGHAN.
(from William Bone, Medstead, Alton & Mrs. Matthews, location unknown)

One MidsummerÕs evening the sun being gone down
Young Polly went a walking by the side of a pond.
She sat under a shady tree a shower for to stun
With her apron wrapped around her as white as a swan.

Young William he went a hunting with his dog & his gun
Young William he went a hunting as the evening came on.
Down among those green rushes as the evening came on
He shot his own true love in the room of a swan.

He throwÕed down his gun & away he did run
Crying Father dear father can you believe what IÕve down.
Down among those green rushes as the evening came on
I shot my own true love in the room of a swan.

Stay at home my dearest William till your trial comes on
That you may not be banished to foreign land
On the day of your trial your father will appear
With Fifty bright guineas and you will go clear.

On the day of his trial Young Polly did appear,
Crying people Oh people let William go clear.
With my apron wrapped around my head
As the evening came on,
He shot his own true love in the room of a swan.

Can be found in one of Frank Purslow's great books.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Mick Tems
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 09:48 AM

It is Polly Vaughan - or Bawn, Ban, Von, or whatever the folk variations determine. The name is Celtic-influenced, and it translates as "little." (There's a South Wales village not so far away which goes by the name of Pontneddfechan, which translates as The little bridge across the river Neath, or The bridge crossing the little Neath. It goes by the Welsh-English hybrid name of Pontneathvaughan.)

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: GUEST,Richard Wastling
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 08:27 AM

I learned the Peter, Paul and Mary version in the middle 60's when I was a regular at 'Folk Union One' , run by The Watersons at the 'Bluebell' in Hull. After performing it one sunday evening, Norma Waterson gave me this extra verse, which I still sing.

All the maids of this country will all be very glad
When they hear the sad, sad story, my Polly Von is dead.
You can take them in their hundreds and put them in a row,
Polly Von, she'd shine above them like a mountain of snow.

Maybe this is the verse Naemanson is thinking of. A great last verse, which I still sing.

By the way, I have never come across a bad version of 'Molly Ban', 'Molly Bawn', 'Polly Von' or 'The Fowler' or whatever else it's called. Johnny Jones of the Oyster Band used to do a great version.

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 08:18 AM

I always thought it was Polly Vaughan?

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 04:23 AM

Isn't there a verse in Molly Ban where they try the young man for murder and her ghost comes to testify?

I also seem to remember a verse where the other women in the area are glad to hear she's dead because she was more beautiful that they were.

Of course it might be another version of the story.

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: GUEST,LKGuest
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 01:32 AM

I absolutely love the version entitled "Molly Ban (Bawn)" Allison Krauss performs with the Chieftains. I just can't get into the Peter, Paul, and Mary version. Anyway, after a lot of messing around on my ukulele (which is the best someone with short fingers can manage), I came up with this version. Maybe someone with an actual guitar and some lessons behind them can improve on it.


[C]Come [F]all, ye young [C]fowlers who [Dm]handle a [C]gun
Be- [F/C]ware of night [Bb]rambling by the [F]setting of the [C]sun
And [Bb]beware of an [C]accident that [Dm]happened of [C]late
To [C]young Molly [Bb]Bawn, and [Dm]sad was her [C]fate.

She was [F]going to her [C]uncle's when a [Dm]shower came [C]on
She went [F]under a [C7]green bush, the [Gm]shower to [C]shun
Her white [F]apron wrapped [C]around her, he [Dm]took her for a [C]swan
But a [C]hush and a [Gm]sigh! 'Twas his [Dm]own Molly [C]Bawn

He [F]quickly ran to [C]her and [Dm]found she was [C]dead
And [C]there on her [Bb/Gm]bosom many [Dm]salt tears he [C]shed
He ran [F]home to his [C]father with his [Dm]gun in his [C]hand
Saying, [C]"Father, dear [Gm]Father, I have [Dm]shot Molly [C]Bawn."

Her white [F]apron wrapped [C]around her, he [Dm]took her for a [C]swan
But a [C]hush and a [Gm]sigh! 'Twas his [Dm]own Molly [C]Bawn.

He [F]roamed near the [C]place where his [Dm]true love was [C]slain
He [F]wept bitter [Bb/Gm]tears, but his [Dm]cries were in [C]vain
As he [F]looked o'er the [C]lake a [Dm]swan glided [C]by
And the [C]sun slowly [Gm]sank in the [Dm]gray of [C}sky

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 02:19 PM

You can't overdose on Cat Stevens.

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 10:52 AM

Masato,

Thanks bigtime.

At this precise moment I'm overdosing on Cat Stevens, but I will practice the chords etc. tomorrow.

Thanks too Naemanson. Appreciate your comments but you wouldn't make them if you had heard my voice. I usually have an audience of four walls. If I play the guitar loud enough, even i don't have to listen.

Fwitt

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: POLLY VON (from Peter, Paul & Mary
From: masato sakurai
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:59 AM

POLLY VON
(Arranged and adapted by Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers)

I shall [Dm]tell of a hunter
Whose [Gm]life was undone
By the [Dm]cruel hand of evil,
At the setting of the [A]sun
His [Dm]arrow was loosed
And it [Gm]flew through the dark
And his [Dm]true love was slain
As the [Gm7-A7]shaft found its [Dm-Gmaj-Dm-Gmaj-Dm]mark.

(Refrain)
She'd her [F]apron wrapped about her
And he took her for a [A]swan
And it's [Dm]oh, and alas,
It was [Gm7-A7]she, Polly [Dm-Gmaj-Dm]Von.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Chords - Polly Von
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:35 AM

This is one of those songs that, I believe, works better without acompaniment. Just throw your head back and let your heart sing the words. That's the way I do it. I sing the verses in the third person but the chorus is in the first person.

Let me tell you of a hunter whose life was undone,
By the cruel hand of evil at the setting of the sun,
His arrow was loosed and it flew through the dark,
And his true love was slain as the faft found its mark.

But she'd her apron wrapped about her
And I took her for a swan,
And It's so and alas, it was she-e,
Polly Von.

etc.

Subject: Chords - Polly Von
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:00 AM

Can anyone advise? Not too tricky, I hope.