D    G  D    C  D

[Verse 1]

He followed her up and he followed her down
    G                       D
And into the room where she lay

She hadn't the strength for to flee from his arms
        C             G/B         D     A7
Nor the tongue for to answer him 'nay'


[Verse 2]
      D
"Rise up, rise up, my pretty Polly
     G              D
Rise up and go with me

And I will take you to North Scotland
    C            G/B     D
And there you'll married be


[Verse 3]

Go fetch you a bag of your father's gold
    G                     D
And some of your mother's tea

And two fine horses out of the stable
      C            G/B        D
Where there stands thirty and three"


[Chorus]

So she sit upon her nimble-going brown
     G                  D
He's mounted the dapple grey

And when they came to North Scotland
      C          G/B        D
'Twas just three hours 'til day


[Interlude]
D    G  D    C  D


[Verse 4]

"Laid you down, laid you down, my pretty Polly
         G              D
Laid you down, I say to thee

For six kings' daughters have I drowned here
        C            G/B       D
And the seventh will surely be thee"


[Verse 5]

"And pull off, pull off your fine gay clothes
    G                   D
And hang them on yonder tree

For they are too fine and they cost too much
   C          G/B       D
To rot in the salt lake sea"


[Verse 6]

"Well, then you take a sickle and you cut down the nettles
     G                    D
That grow so close to the brim

For I fear they'll tangle my long yellow hair
C               G/B       D       A7
They'll tear my lilywhite skin"


[Verse 7]
   D
So then he took a sickle and he cut down the nettles
     G                    D
That grow so close to the brim

And she picked him up so skilfully
    C              G/B          D
And she pushed the false knight in


[Verse 8]

"Lie there, lie there, my false young man
    G                    D
Lie there in the room of me

For six kings' daughters have you drowned here
        C           G/B     D
And the seventh has drowned thee"


[Chorus]

So she sit upon her nimble-going brown
    G                  D
And she led the dapple grey

And when she came to her father's door
      C          G/B        D
'Twas just three hours 'til day


[Instrumental]
D    G  D    C  D  (2x)


[Verse 9]

"Hush up, hush up, my pretty Polly bird
    G                       D
And don't you tell tales on me

Your cage will be made of the very beaten gold
        C           G/B     D
And the door of the best ivory"


[Verse 10]

But then up spoke a fine young man
       G                D
In the chamber where he lay

"What's the matter, what's the matter with my pretty Polly bird?
       C          G/B         D
You're talking so long before day"


[Verse 11]

"Oh, there's two black cats at my cage's door
       G                D
And my life they will betray

And I'm just calling for my pretty Polly
   C           G/B   D
To drive those cats away"


[Verse 12]

He followed her up and he followed her down
    G                       D
And into the room where she lay

She hadn't the strength for to flee from his arms
        C             G/B         D
Nor the tongue for to answer him 'nay'