> Martin Carthy > Songs > Handsome Polly-O

Handsome Polly-O / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie

[ Roud 545 ; Ballad Index SBoA020 ; trad.]

Martin Carthy sang Handsome Polly-O on his 1972 album Shearwater. He commented in the record's sleeve notes:

Handsome Polly is from the recording made by Séamus Ennis of Thomas Moran of Mohill, Co. Antrim [this should be Leitrim; -ed.], and is a nicely unfussy way of doing a song which in one form at one time was part of every folk guitarist's staple diet (not so much now. God is good).

Martin Carthy sang this live on the Steeleye Span BBC radio programme “Peel's Sunday Concert” on September 15, 1971. This programme was included as bonus CD on the 2006 reissue of Steeleye Span's third album, Ten Man Mop or Mr Reservoir Butler Rides Again.

Thomas Moran's singing as recorded by Séamus Ennis in 1954 was included on A Soldier's Life for Me (The Folk Songs of Britain, Volume 8; Caedmon 1961, Topic 1970). The album notes comment:

Handsome Polly-O sung by Thomas Moran, Mohill, Co. Leitrim; recorded by Séamus Ennis (BBC Sound Archive)

This tale of the love-lorn captain still enjoys widespread popularity in the English-speaking world. It was published in Cecil Sharp's English Folk Song of the Southern Appalachians under the title of Pretty Katie-O and in Scotland it is generally sung as The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie to the air Kelvin Grove.

Lyrics

Oh a regiment of soldiers came to Mohill-O,
A regiment of soldiers came to Mohill-O,
When the captain on parade
He fell in love with a lady's maid.
And the name that she was called was handsome Polly-O.

“Will you list in the army, handsome Polly-O?
Will you list in the army handsome Polly-O?
Ah, you'll get a horse to ride
And your rifle by your side
And a whole band of music going afore ye-O.”

“Didn't I give you your answer long, long ago?
Didn't I give you your answer long, long ago?
That I ne'er intend to roam
Into any foreign shore
Nor to marry a poor soldier in the army-O.”

Now when she come in presence of the captain-O,
And she come in presence of the captain-O,
Ah, she made him there to stand
With his cap and gun in hand
And she laughed him to scorn to his soldiers-O.

The regiment got the rout into Ivy-O,
The regiment got the rout into Ivy-O,
And the captain he fell sick,
And he died all in a week,
And it was all for the love of handsome Polly-O
And all for the love of handsome Polly-O.
Ah, the captain he fell sick,
And he died all in a week,
And it was all for the love of handsome Polly-O.

The soldiers went to mourn for the captain-O,
The soldiers went to mourn for the captain-O.
For if Polly wouldn't do,
They would get another view;
For there were far better girls out in Ivy-O.

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Garry Gillard.