Sweet Polly Oliver

"Sweet Polly Oliver" is an English broadside ballad (Roud #367), traceable from 1840 or earlier. It is also known as "Pretty Polly Oliver" and has several variant sets of lyrics, set to a single anonymous melody.

It is one of the best known of a number of folk songs describing women disguising themselves as men to join the army to be with their lovers.

Thomas Root wrote a symphonic band arrangement and Benjamin Britten wrote an arrangement for voice and piano.

Lyrics

 * As sweet Polly Oliver lay musing in bed,
 * A sudden strange fancy came into her head.
 * "Nor father nor mother shall make me false prove,
 * I'll 'list as a soldier, and follow my love."


 * So early next morning she softly arose,
 * And dressed herself up in her dead brother's clothes.
 * She cut her hair close, and she stained her face brown,
 * And went for a soldier to fair London Town.


 * Then up spoke the sergeant one day at his drill,
 * "Now who's good for nursing? A captain, he's ill."
 * "I'm ready," said Polly. To nurse him she's gone,
 * And finds it's her true love all wasted and wan.


 * The first week the doctor kept shaking his head,
 * "No nursing, young fellow, can save him," he said.
 * But when Polly Oliver had nursed him back to life
 * He cried, "You have cherished him as if you were his wife".


 * O then Polly Oliver, she burst into tears
 * And told the good doctor her hopes and her fears,
 * And very shortly after, for better or for worse,
 * The captain took joyfully his pretty soldier nurse.