Pretty Saro


Pretty Saro is an English folk ballad originating in the early 1700s. The song died out in England by the mid eighteenth century but was rediscovered in North America in the early twentieth century where it had been preserved in the Appalachian Mountains through oral traditions. The work of Cecil Sharp is credited for keeping songs such as Pretty Saro and others, alive well into modern times.
During his Self Portrait sessions in March 1970 at Columbia Records' New York studio, Bob Dylan ran through "Pretty Saro" six consecutive times. While none of those versions made the final cut for the album, the song remained in Columbia's vault, until it was released on Another Self Portrait, a 35-track box set of songs cut for Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait and New Morning.

Performers

Notable artists who have recorded Pretty Saro include:
ArtistAlbum
Derroll Adams65th Birthday Concert
Sam AmidonAll is Well
Judy CollinsA Maid of Constant Sorrow
Shirley Collins and Davy GrahamFolk Roots, New Routes
Iris DementSongcatcher
Bob DylanThe Bootleg Series Vol. 10 – Another Self Portrait
Chris JonesCloud of Dust
Bruce Molsky and Big HoedownBruce Molsky and Big Hoedown
Ashley Monroe featuring Aubrey HaynieDivided & United: The Songs of the Civil War
Jay MunlyGalvanized Yankee
Pete SeegerGod Bless the Grass
Doc WatsonHome Again!
The Dixie Bee-LinersThrough My Screen Door
John Doyle Evening Comes Early
Bert JanschA Rare Conundrum
Rhiannon Giddens
Bluecoats Drum and Bugle CorpsSession 44
Martin SimpsonLive
The WesterliesThe Westerlies