the most friggtening line:
Polly, Pretty Polly, your guess is about right. I dug on your grave the best part of last night.
Pretty Polly Traditional (Bob Dylan's version)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 1961 THE MINNESOTA TAPES (T-318)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Sep. 1961 MONTREAL 1962 NEW YORK 1961 (T-103) HISTORICAL ARCHIVES Vol. 1 (vinyl bootleg)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I used to be a rambler, I rambled all around. I used to be a rambler, I rambled all around. Till I courted Pretty Polly her body ....
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, come and go along with me. Polly oh Polly, come and go along with me. Before we get married some pleasure we'll see.
She jumped up behind him and away they did ride. She jumped up behind him and away they did ride To the wild running river, to the wild country side.
They rode a little further and what did they spy? They rode a little further and what did they spy? A newly dig... a newly dug grave and a spade lying by.
Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm scared of your ways. Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm scared of your ways. I'm scared you will lead my poor body astray.
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed just about right. Pretty Polly, oh Polly, you guessed just about right. Oh I dug on your grave just about last night.
He stabbed her in the breast, her heart blood did flow. He stabbed her in the breast and her heart blood did flow. And into her grave Pretty Polly did go.
He covered her up and he left her alone. He covered her up and he left her alone. With nobody there but the wild birds to moan.
A debt to the devil Willie must pay. A debt to the devil Willie must pay For killing Pretty Polly and running away.
Another version
Pretty Polly
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly, come go along with me. Polly, Pretty Polly, come go along with me. Before we get married some pleasures to see.
She got behind him and away they did go, She got behind him and away they did go, Over the hills and mountains to the valley below.
He rode her over hills and valleys so deep. He rode her over hills and valleys so deep. Pretty Polly mistrusted and then began to weep.
Oh Willie, Oh Willie, I’m afraid to of your ways. Willie, Oh Willie, I’m afraid of your ways. The way you’ve been acting, you’ll lead me astray.
They went up a little farther, and what did they spy, They went up a little farther and what did they spy, A newly-dug grave, and a spade lying by.
Oh Polly, Pretty Polly, your guess is about right. Polly, Pretty Polly, your guess is about right. I dug on your grave the best part of last night.
She knelt down before him pleading for her life. She knelt down before him pleading for her life. Please let me be a single girl if I can’t be your wife.
He stabbed her in the heart and her heart’s blood did flow. He stabbed her in the heart and her heart’s blood did flow. And into the grave Pretty Polly did go.
He threw something over her and turned to go home, He threw something over her and turned to go home, Leaving nothing behind him, but the girl left to mourn.
He went down to the jailhouse and what did he say. He went down to the jailhouse and what did he say. I killed Pretty Polly and tried to get away.
Oh gentlemen and ladies, I bid you farewell. Oh gentlemen and ladies, I bid you farewell. For killing Pretty Polly my soul will go to hell.
And then of course, no one has mentioned the blues -- with Robert Johnson's relationship to the devil, for example.
jks
--- Mark Bennett <mab at straussandasher.com> wrote:
>
> What about "Ain't That Pretty At All"? By Warren
> Zevon? That's a song
> to shoot yourself by, if there ever was one.
>
> Zevon's "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is pretty damn
> grim, as well.
>
> Lou Reed's spoken work opus, "Street Hassle" gives
> you that "I just
> stepped on a snail barefoot" feeling.
>
> Neil Young's "Borrowed Tune" and "Tired Eyes" from
> "Tonight's The Night"
> both make swallowing a twelve gauge seem like a good
> idea: in fact, the
> whole disc will.
>
> And speaking of Bloodrock's "DOA": another one-shot
> wonder from the same
> year has to be one of weirdest, if not grimmest,
> tunes to ever get
> significant radio play: "Timothy" by the Buoys,
> which was written by
> same guy who wrote "The Pina Colada Song." It's a
> song about three
> miners trapped by a cave-in, two of whom eat the
> third, Timothy.
>
> Merle Travis' "16 Tons," sung by Tennessee Ernie
> Ford, is an classic
> anthem of working-class misery, and was one of the
> first cross-over
> hits, too.
>
> ___________________________________
>
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>
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