Handsome Molly

DESCRIPTION: The singer sings the praises of handsome Molly, noting that "Sailing round the ocean, sailing round the sea, I'll think of handsome Molly wherever she may be." She proves less than faithful, but he loves her still
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1918 (Cecil Sharp collection)
KEYWORDS: love courting sailor separation abandonment
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (8 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 82, "The Lover's Lament" (4 texts plus a fragment, "E," that is probably "Handsome Molly"; the others are true "Farewell Ballymoney (Loving Hannah; Lovely Molly)" texts)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore4 82, "The Lover's Lament" (2 excerpts, 2 tunes; the "B" excerpt is probably "Farewell Ballymoney (Loving Hannah; Lovely Molly)" while "E" is probably "Handsome Molly")
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 710, "My Hair Was Black As Ribbon" (1 fragment, 1 tune, which could be anything but matches the form of this song)
Owens-TexasFolkSongs-2ed, pp. 57-58, "Lovely Mary" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians 180, "The Irish Girl" (1 text plus 2 fragments, 3 tunes, with the "A" text going here and the "B" and "C" fragments tentatively filed under "The Irish Girl")
Bush-FSofCentralWestVirginiaVol5, pp. 62-64, "Handsome Molly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 148, "Handsome Molly" (1 text)
DT, HNDSMMOL
Roud #454
RECORDINGS:
[G. B.] Grayson & [Henry] Whitter, "Handsome Molly" (Gennett 6304/Champion 15629, 1927) (Victor 21189, 1928; rec. 1927; on GraysonWhitter01, LostProv1)
Mike Seeger, "Handsome Molly" (on MSeeger01)
Glenn Neaves, "Handsome Molly" (on GraysonCarroll1)
Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton, "Handsome Molly" (on Ashley02, WatsonAshley01)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Farewell Ballymoney (Loving Hannah; Lovely Molly)"
NOTES [195 words]: It is my firm belief that this is a version of the "Farewell Ballymoney/Loving Hannah" family of songs (with which it shares several verses and the whole plot, as well as melodic similarities). In this I actually agree with Roud.
Paul Stamler, however, observes that "The plotline is similar, but I'd be inclined to split off 'Molly' and class the 'went to church on Sunday' verse as a floater. Look at it this way -- if you ask old-time musicians to play 'Handsome Molly' about 95% can do so, but if you ask them to play 'Farewell Ballymoney' at least 95% will go, 'Hah?'"
I still think I'm right, but it is certainly true that "Molly" has achieved independent circulation (though all the versions I hear seem to come ultimately from the Grayson & Whitter recording), and so we list it as a separate song. - RBW
The Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians version shows that the song, with lyrics very close to those sung by Whitter, was circulating some nine years before he made his very-influential recording. Whitter, it should be noted, came from the same area in Virginia where the Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians version was collected. - PJS
Last updated in version 6.0
File: FSWB148

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography