Sweet William went to Polly
To give her to understand,
That he had to go and leave her,
To go to a foreign land.
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O stay at home, Sweet William,
O stay at home, said she,
O stay at home, Sweet William,
And do not go to sea.
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My king doth give command, my love,
And I am bound to go;
And if it were to save my life,
I dare not answer No.
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My yellow hair I wll cut off,
Men’s clothing I’ll put on;
Like a true and faithful servant,
It’s you I’ll wait upon.
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The men do lie a-bleeding there,
The bullets swiftly fly,
And the silver trumpets a-sounding,
To drown the dismal cry.
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O tell me not of danger,
For God will be my guide;
And I value not no danger,
When William’s by my side.
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O Polly, dearest Polly,
These words have gained my heart,
And we will have a wedding,
Before we ever part.
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This couple they got married,
And William’s gone to sea,
And Polly she’s a waiting,
All in their own country.
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“William and Polly” text from book titled “80 Appalachian Folk Songs” collected by Cecil Sharp & Maud Karpeles, 1968. Chord progression transposed and loosely based on guitar accompaniment notation.