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BARBARA ALLEN
sung by Nic Jones : Trad ~ child 84
MORE See also Digitrad

In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin'
Made every youth cry Well-a-day,
Her name was Barb'ra Allen.

All in the merry month of May,
When green buds they were swellin'
Young Willie Grove on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barb'ra Allen.

He sent his man unto her then
To the town where he was dwellin'
You must come to my master, dear,
If your name be be Barb'ra Allen.

So slowly, slowly she came up,
And slowly she came nigh him,
And all she said when there she came:
"Young man, I think you're dying!"

He turned his face unto the wall
And death was drawing nigh him.
Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
And be kind to Bar'bra Allen

As she was walking o'er the fields,
She heard the death bell knellin',
And ev'ry stroke did seem to say,
Unworthy Barb'ra Allen.

When he was dead and laid in grave,
Her heart was struck with sorrow.
"Oh mother, mother, make my bed
For I shall die tomorrow."

And on her deathbed she lay,
She begged to be buried by him,
And sore repented of the day
That she did e'er deny him.

"Farewell," she said, "ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in,
Henceforth take warning by the fall
Of cruel Barb'ra Allen."

BARBARA ALLEN (2) From The Burl Ives Song Book See also Digitrad2

In Scarlet Town where I was born
There was a fair maid dwellin'
Made every youth cry well-a-day
Her name was Barbara Allen.

'Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds they were swellin'
Sweet William on his death-bed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.

He sent his servant to the town,
To the place where she was a-dwellin',
Cried, "Master bids you come to him,
If your name be Barb'ry Allen."

Then slowly, slowly she got up,
And slowly went she nigh him,
And when she pulled the curtains back
Said, "Young man, I think you're dyin'.

"Oh, yes, I'm sick, I'm very very sick,
I never will be better,
Until I have the love of one
The love of Barb'ry Allen."

"Oh, ken ye not in yonder town
In the place where you were a-dwellin',
You gave a toast to the ladies all
But you slighted Barb'ry Allen."

"Oh yes, I ken, I ken it well,
In the place where I was a-dwellin';
I give a toast to the ladies all,
But my love to Barb'ry Allen."

Then lightly tripped she down the stairs,
He trembled like an aspen.
'Tis vain, 'tis vain, my dear young man,
To hone for Barb'ry Allen.

She walked out in the green, green fields.
She heard his death bells knellin'.
And every stroke they seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barb'ry Allen."

Her eyes looked east, her eyes looked west,
She saw his pale corpse comin';
She cried, "Bearers, bearers, put him down
That I may look upon him."

The more she looked, the more she grieved,
Until she burst out cryin';
She cried, "Bearers, bearers, take him off,
For I am now a-dyin'!"

"Oh, father, oh, father, go dig my grave,
Go dig it deep and narrow.
Sweet William died for me today;
I'll die for him tomorrow."

They buried her in the old churchyard,
Sweet William's grave was nigh her,
And from his heart grew a red, red rose,
And from her heart a brier.

They grew and they grew o'er the old church wall,
Till they couldn't grow no higher,
Until they tied a true lover's knot,
The red rose and the brier.

BARBARA ELLEN (3) From English Folk Songs, Sharp See also Digitrad3

In Scotland I was born and bred
In Scotland I was dwelling;
When a young man on his deathbed lay
For the sake of Barb'ra Ellen.

He sent his servant to her house
To the place where she was dewlling,
Saying, "You must come to my master's house
If your name is Barb'ra Ellen."

So slowly she put on her clothes
So slowly she came to him,
And when she came to his bedside
She said, "Young man, you're dying."

"A dying man! O don't say so.
For one kiss from you will cure me."
"One kiss from me you never shall have
While your poor heart is breaking."

"If you'll look up at my bed-head
You will see my watch a-hanging;
Here's my gold ring and my gold chain
I give to Barb'ra Ellen."

"If you look down at my bed's-foot
You will see a bowl a-standing
In it is the blood I've shed
For the sake of Barb'ra Ellen."

As she was walking down the lane
She heard some birds a-singing,
And as they sang, they seemed to say:
"Hard-hearted Barb'ra Ellen."

As she was walking down the lane
She heard some bells a-tolling,
And as they tolled they seemed to say:
"Hard-hearted Barb'ra Ellen."

As she was walking up the groves
And met his corpse a-coming,
"Stay, stay," said she,"and stop awhile
That I may gaze all on you."

The more she gazed, the more she smiled
Till she burst out a-laughing;
And her parents cried out:"Fie, for shame,
Hard-hearted Barb'ra Ellen."

"Come mother, come make up my bed
Make it both long and narrow;
My true love died for me yesterday
I'll die for him tomorrow."

And he was buried in Edmondstone
And she was buried in Cold Harbour;
And out of him sprang roses red
And out of her sweet-brier.

It grew and grew so very high
Till it could grow no higher;
And around the top growed a true lover's knot
And around it twined sweet-brier.

MORE ......
The first version listed is considered the English one.
Samuel Pepys in his "Diary" under the date of January 2nd 1665, speaks of the singing of "Barbara Allen." The English and Scottish both claim the original ballad in different versions, and both versions were brought over to the US by the earliest settlers. Since then there have been countless variations (some 98 are found in Virginia alone).