Lloyd recorded many albums of English folk music, most notably several albums of the Child Ballads with Ewan MacColl. He also published many books on folk music and related topics, including The Singing Englishman, Come All Ye Bold Miners, and Folk Song in England. He was a founder-member of Topic Records and remained as their artistic director until his death. He died at his home in Greenwich in 1982.
While Lloyd is most widely known for his work with British folk music, he had a keen interest in the music of Spain, Latin America, Southeastern Europe and Australia (he recorded at least 6 discs of Australian Bush Ballads and folk music).
Pretty Polly
A.L. Lloyd Lyrics
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Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, it's I've come a-wooin'
She says, Creep and crawl through the window then and let's get doin'
And lay your leg over me, over me, do
Oh, my britches is tight and I cannot undo 'em
My britches is tight and I cannot undo 'em
There's a knife on the window sill, love, take it to 'em
Well the knife it was got and the britches cut asunder
The knife it was got and the britches cut asunder
And then they went to it like lightning and thunder
Cryin', Lay your leg over me, over me, do
About forty weeks after, the fine baby come bawlin'
About forty weeks after, a fine baby come bawlin'
But she never regretted that creepin' and crawlin'
And cryin', Lay your leg over me, over me, do
The lyrics of A.L. Lloyd's "Pretty Polly" tell the story of a man who visits a woman, presumably Pretty Polly, and makes sexual advances towards her. After some hesitation and urging, the woman agrees to sleep with the man, but encounters a problem with his tight pants. The man suggests she use a knife to cut them off, and they proceed to have sex. Despite the unplanned pregnancy that results from the encounter, the woman has no regrets about their actions and the baby is welcomed into the world.
However, the interpretation of the lyrics can be further analyzed to reveal themes of sexual manipulation and female empowerment. The man is shown to be pressuring the woman into sex, emphasizing his desire to "come a-wooin'" and "let's get doin'". The use of the knife can also be seen as a symbol of forceful domination. On the other hand, the woman's autonomy and power is also highlighted through her decision to engage in sexual activity and willingness to take control of the situation through the use of the knife. The fact that she has no regrets and welcomes the child also suggests agency and ownership over her sexuality and reproductive health.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, it's I've come a-wooin'
The singer has arrived to woo Pretty Polly, and addresses her in repetition
She says, Creep and crawl through the window then and let's get doin'
Pretty Polly invites the singer into her bedroom, using the window as the entry point
And lay your leg over me, over me, do
Polly is inviting the singer to be intimate with her
Oh, my britches is tight and I cannot undo 'em
The singer's trousers are too tight to take off
There's a knife on the window sill, love, take it to 'em
Polly offers a knife to the singer to cut off his trousers
And lay your leg over me, over me, do
Polly continues to invite the singer to be intimate with her
Well the knife it was got and the britches cut asunder
The singer successfully cuts off his trousers
And then they went to it like lightning and thunder
The couple became very passionate quickly
Cryin', Lay your leg over me, over me, do
The couple continued to be intimate with each other
About forty weeks after, the fine baby come bawlin'
Polly gives birth to a baby almost nine months after their encounter
But she never regretted that creepin' and crawlin'
Polly doesn't regret her intimate encounter with the singer despite it leading to a pregnancy
And cryin', Lay your leg over me, over me, do
The song finishes with the same refrain, Polly inviting the singer to be intimate with her once again
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.