Pretty Polly (Traditional - Reimagined)

[Voice: Male bari-tenor, G2–E4. Warm, weathered Appalachian storyteller; dark, intimate, and restrained. Traditional passages should feel like an old murder ballad. Rap sections are conversational, vivid, and increasingly ominous.] [Verse 1] Oh Polly, pretty Polly, come go along with me, Polly, pretty Polly, come go along with me. Before we get married, some pleasure for to see, Before we get married, some pleasure for to see. [Verse 2] She followed him through the meadow, She followed him through the pine. She asked him where they were going. He said, “We're leaving this town behind.” [Verse 3] “William, dear William, you're leading me astray. I fear by your looks and your manner You're taking me far away.” [Chorus] Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Something ain't right tonight. Sometimes the heart hears danger Long before the mind sees the signs. Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Love should never make you run. When somebody hides the truth from you, Turn around before it's done. [Verse 4] They walked until they reached a place Where the trees grew dark and tall. Polly looked around her and said, “I fear we're lost after all.” [Rap 1 — low, ominous] He told her what she wanted. She heard what she believed. That's how a lie gets stronger: Give somebody what they need. A promise ain't protection. A sweet word ain't a shield. If somebody keeps you guessing, Pay attention to what you feel. Danger don't always break the door. Sometimes it takes your hand. Sometimes it whispers “forever” While it's making other plans. And love ain't proved by following Where somebody says to go. Real love doesn't need a blindfold. Real love lets you know. [Verse 5] “Oh William, dear William, Your purpose now I see. You've dug my grave before me, And now you're murdering me.” [Verse 6] “Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Your guess is almost right. I've dug your grave, pretty Polly, And you'll sleep here tonight.” [Chorus] Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Something ain't right tonight. Sometimes the heart hears danger Long before the mind sees the signs. Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Love should never make you run. When somebody hides the truth from you, Turn around before it's done. [Verse 7] “Now Polly, pretty Polly, I'll go and take my leave. There's nobody here to witness And nobody here to grieve.” He left her lying in the ground. He walked away alone. But the forest kept his secret, And the wind remembered all. [Rap 2 — reflective] That's the part that makes the old song Hard to hear and harder still to forget. The danger wasn't just the ending. It was every warning she had met. The road. The distance. The questions he ignored. Every little moment When she should've turned toward home. We teach ourselves that love means patience, That love means giving someone time. But love should never require That you silence every warning sign. You don't owe somebody trust Just because they ask for it. And you don't have to call it love When fear is underneath it. [Verse 8] Pretty Polly's gone forever. Her ghost is walking still. Some say she haunts the hollow. Some say she always will. [Bridge — hushed] The pine trees know the story. The old creek knows it too. A promise made in darkness Can never make it true. [Rap 3 — building] Remember Pretty Polly When somebody says, “Don't worry,” When they rush you down a road And tell you not to hurry. When your questions get dismissed, When your instincts get ignored, When the person saying “trust me” Is the one who's closing doors. Listen to the little voice. Listen when something's wrong. You don't have to prove your love By walking farther than you should. [Final Chorus] Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Something ain't right tonight. Sometimes the heart hears danger Long before the mind sees the signs. Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, Love should never make you run. When somebody hides the truth from you, Turn around before it's done. [Outro — fading] Oh Polly, pretty Polly, The pine trees whisper low. Some stories aren't about romance. They're warnings we should know.