Willie came over the main wide ocean and Willie came over the sea,

voiceCollected by Merlin Mitchell Transcribed by Kyle Perrin Willie Came Over the Ocean Fred High Reel 8 Item 3 High, Ark. February 20, 1950 Willie came over the main wide ocean and Willie came over the sea, And Willie came to my father's house, came a-courting home with me--me-me, Came a-courting home with me. He follered me up and he follered me down, he follered me far and near, I had no tongue to tell him to stay, no tongue to tell him to go or stay, No tongue to tell him to stay. Let's go get half of your father's state and part of your mother's fee, And two of your father's best horses and married we will be--be--be, And married we will be. She went and got part of her father's state and part of her mother's fee, And marched right out to the barn door, took choice among thirty and three--three--three, For they were thirty and eight. She mounted on a snow white beast and Willie the dappled grey, And they rode til they come to the salty water sea at the length of a long, summer day--day--day, At the length of a long, summer day. Oh, light you down, my perty Polly, oh, light you down, said he, For six kind daughters I've drowneded here and the seventh you will be-be--be, And the seventh you will be. Go pull off that silken dress that's made of silk so fine, For it is too fin e and costly to lie and rot in the salty water sea--sea--sea, For to lie in the salty water sea. Go turn your back around and about and view the leaves on the tree, And think what a shame and a scandal(?) 'twould be for a naked woman to be--be--be, For a naked woman to be. He turned his back all around and about, he turned his back unto me, And I grabbed him by the slim long waist and I tossed him in the sea-- sea--sea, And tossed him in the deep blue sea. Reach down you hand, reach down your hand, reach down your hand for me, For six kind daughters I 've drowneded here and the seventh you won't't be--be--be, And the seventh you won't be. Willie Came Over the Ocean (Cont.) Lie there, lie there, you cruel hearted feller, lie there in the case of me, For six kind daughters you have drowneded here and the seventh you will be--be--be, And the seventh you will be. She mounted on the snow white beast and leading the dappled grey, And she rode til she come to her father's house, two l ong hours before it was day--day--day, Two long hours before it was day. Where have you been, my perty Polly, where have you been says he, I've been with the richest man in the state and drowned him in the sea-- sea--sea, And drownedhim in the sea.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation