Murder Ballad Monday--Polly Vaughn by The Dillards

Hello and welcome to the penultimate version of the Murder Ballad Mondays about the folk ballad Polly Von. This week I am looking at a version by a band called The Dillards from their 1963 album Back Porch Blues.

This version touches on elements we have seen in other versions. It begins like the Dubliners version with the line “Now come all ye hunters who follow the gun” and several lines are straight out of the Peter, Paul and Mary version such as “And a fountain of tears for his true love he shed. For she'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan, Oh and alas it was she Polly Vaughn.” It ends with the line comparing Polly to a fountain of snow much like in the Martha Tilson version.  When her ghost appears at the trial everyone, including the judge and the lawyers, mistake her for a swan and so Jimmy’s defence is clear. 

What also sets this one apart is that it is a bluegrass version. You can listen to it here:

Now come all ye hunters who follow the gun
Beware of your shooting at the setting of the sun
For Polly's own true love he shot in the dark
But oh and alas Polly Vaughn was his mark.

For she'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan
Oh and alas it was she Polly Vaughn

He ran up beside her and saw that it was she
Cried "Polly oh Polly have I killed thee"

He lifted up her head and saw that she was dead
And a fountain of tears for his true love he shed.

For she'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan

Oh and alas it was she Polly Vaughn

In the middle of the night Polly Vaughn did appear
Cried "Jimmy oh Jimmy you must have no fear;
Just tell them you were hunting when your trial day has come
And you won't be convicted for what you have done.

For I’d my apron wrapped about me and you took me for a swan
Oh and alas it was me Polly Vaughn.”

In the middle of the trial Polly Vaughn did appear
Crying "Uncle oh Uncle Jimmy Randall must go clear"
The lawyers and the judges stood around in a row
In the middle Polly Vaughn like some fountain of snow

For she'd her apron wrapped about her and they took her for a swan

Oh and alas it was she Polly Vaughn
Oh and alas it was she Polly Vaughn

That’s it for this week’s Murder Ballad Monday. Stay tuned next week for the last version of this ballad sung by Irish singer Aoife Murray.