NOTE: Queen Adreena is the real name - If you would like to, although it is… Read Full Bio ↴NOTE: Queen Adreena is the real name - If you would like to, although it is not necessary, you can flag / vote and edit track names to make the other page become the default one.

QueenAdreena are a band from London, England. Described at various times as "art, punk, metal, rock or alternative", Queenadreena are difficult to categorize. But there is an undeniable primal, sick swagger and thump in everything they do, a homeopathic drinking of ills and light in dark places.
Formed in 1999 by iconic vocalist KatieJane Garside and guitarist Crispin Gray, they had previously collaborated in the celebrated but short-lived band Daisy Chainsaw.
Garside and Gray did not cross paths again until 2000 when they formed QueenAdreena. An album, Taxidermy, soon followed in 2001 on Blanco y Negro/Warners. Following the release of the album, the name was changed from Queen Adreena to Queenadreena. Pete Howard, the last drummer to play with The Clash, joined just before the band signed with Rough Trade for their second effort, 2003's Drink Me, featuring the roaring lead single Pretty Like Drugs.
Queenadreena toured extensively in the UK and Europe, playing with, amongst others, The Cramps, Killing Joke, Garbage, Incubus, Henry Rollins, The 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster and, perhaps most notably, Marilyn Manson (culminating in the Paris Bercy show in 2005).
The same year QA released their third album, The Butcher And The Butterfly, on One Little Indian records.
Queenadreena has fought long and hard with the "music industry" and struggled to survive but, with Welsh speaking bassist Nomi Leonard completing the line up, they continue to excite and challenge audiences everywhere they go. There is truly no one quite like them.
Ride A Cock Horse, an album of mostly unreleased rare material, is only available from http://www.myspace.com/queenadreena08 and www.myspace.com/queenadreenafrance. Not long after, 'Djin', their newest album to date, was released.

Pretty Polly
QueenAdreena Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Polly, pretty Polly, come, go away with me,
Polly, pretty polly, come, go away with me,
Before we get married some pleasures to see.

She jumped up beside him and away they did go,
She jumped up beside him and away they did go,
Over the mountains and the valleys below.

Billy, oh Billy, I'm afraid for my life,
Billy, oh Billy, I'm afraid for my life,
I'm afraid you mean to murder me and leave me behind.

Polly, pretty Polly, you're guessing about right,
Polly, pretty Polly, you're guessing about right,
I've been digging your grave for the best part of your life.

He stabbed her through the heart and her hot blood did flow,
He stabbed her through the heart and her hot blood did flow,
And into the grave pretty Polly did go.

He threw a little dirt over her and started for home,
He threw a little dirt over her and started for home,
Leaving nobody there but the wild birds to moan.

A debt to the devil Billy must pay,

A debt to the devil Billy must pay,
For killing pretty Polly and running away.

Overall Meaning

The song "Pretty Polly" by QueenAdreena is a dark and haunting version of a traditional folk ballad of the same name. The lyrics tell the story of a young woman named Polly who falls for a man named Billy who ends up murdering her. The song begins with Billy persuading Polly to go away with him before they get married so that they could enjoy some pleasures together. She agrees and jumps on his horse, and as they travel over mountains and valleys, Polly begins to fear for her life. She expresses her fear to Billy, and he confirms her suspicions by telling her that he has been digging her grave for the best part of her life. In the end, he stabs her through the heart and buries her, leaving only the wild birds to mourn her death.

The lyrics of the song are full of imagery that adds to the somber and eerie tone of the ballad. The repetition of Polly's name, as well as the use of violent language, creates a sense of fear and tension throughout the song. The use of the first-person point of view adds to the chilling nature of the story, as the listener is given a sense of being inside Billy's mind as he carries out the murder.

Line by Line Meaning

Polly, pretty Polly, come, go away with me,
Billy is asking Polly to run away with him before they get married so they can enjoy some fun together.

She jumped up beside him and away they did go,
Polly agrees to run away with Billy and they set off on their adventure together.

Over the mountains and the valleys below.
As they travel, they see the beauty of the natural world around them.

Billy, oh Billy, I'm afraid for my life,
Polly begins to feel scared and senses that Billy has sinister motives.

I'm afraid you mean to murder me and leave me behind.
Polly voices her fear that Billy intends to kill her and abandon her.

Polly, pretty Polly, you're guessing about right,
Billy admits that Polly's fears are justified and reveals that he has been planning her murder for a long time.

I've been digging your grave for the best part of your life.
Billy confesses that he has been premeditating Polly's murder for a significant portion of her lifetime.

He stabbed her through the heart and her hot blood did flow,
Billy carries out his evil plan by fatally stabbing Polly, causing her blood to gush out.

And into the grave pretty Polly did go.
After killing her, Billy buries Polly in the grave he had dug earlier.

He threw a little dirt over her and started for home,
Billy disposes of the evidence by covering Polly's body with dirt and leaves the scene, showing no remorse for what he has done.

Leaving nobody there but the wild birds to moan.
The only sounds at the grave site are the mournful cries of the birds, as there are no people left to grieve for Polly's senseless death.

A debt to the devil Billy must pay,
Billy's evil actions have incurred a debt to the devil and he will face punishment in the afterlife for what he has done to Polly.

For killing pretty Polly and running away.
Billy is responsible for the murder of Polly, and he ultimately flees the scene to evade justice for his evil deed.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CRISPIN JOHN ORION GRAY, KATRINA JANE GARSIDE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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