Barbara Allen (OT2003-3013-006)

Dublin Core

Title

Barbara Allen (OT2003-3013-006)

Alternative Title

Bonny Barbara Allan
The Ballet of Barbara Allen
Barbara Allen's Cruelty
Barbarous Ellen
Edelin
Hard Hearted Barbary Ellen
Sad Ballet Of Little Johnnie Green
Sir John Graham

Description

Song excerpted from audio recording OT2003-3013, part of VFC2003-0007 Margaret MacArthur Collection.

Source

Margaret MacArthur Collection -- VFC2003-0007. Vermont Folklife Center Archive, Vermont Folklife Center, Middlebury, Vermont, United States of America.

Date Created

1964-07-16

Contributor

Language

en

Identifier

VFC2003-0007 OT2003-3013-006

Rights Holder

Vermont Folklife Center

Song Item Type Metadata

Local Title

Barbara Allen

Standard Title

Barbara Allen

Standard Title Reference

Folk Music Index (http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex)
Coffin, Tristam P. (1950). The British Traditional Ballad in North America. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The American Folklore Society.

Transcription

Twas in the merry month of May
When all the fields were blooming
A young man on his death bed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen

He sent his little 'prentice boy
To the place where she was dwelling
Saying "Master says you must come home [Atwood stutters] here
If your name be Barbara Allen"

So slowly she put on her clothes
So slowly she went to him
And all she said when she came there
"Young man I think you're dying"

"For death is sprinkled on your face
And sorrow in your dwelling
But better off should I be there
If her name was Barbara Allen"

"Don't you remember the other day
Back at the last station
You drank your health to the maids all round
And slighted Barbara Allen"

He turned his face unto the wall
His back unto the maiden
"Adieu adieu to my friends all
And woe to Barbara Allen"

She had not gone three miles from town
She heard the church bell tolling
And every toll it seemed to roll
"O cruel Barbara Allen"

She looked east and she came west
And saw a funeral coming
Saying "Set thee down the cold corpse of clay
That I may look upon him"

"For cruel is my name" said she
"And cruel is my nature
I might have saved this young man's life
By doing my endeavor"

The fairest young man in all New York
Died for John Allen's daughter
The fairest young lady in this town
Will soon follow after

He dug [Atwood stutters] "Go dig my grave both long and deep
Go dig it straight and narrow
This young man died for me today
I'd die for him tomorrow

The young man was buried
And she was buried beside him
And out of his grave grew a bright red rose
And out of her grew a briar

They grew up to the mountaintop
Where they could grow no higher
They tied them in a true lover's knot
And withered away together

References:
  • "Barbara Allen," typewritten lyrics owned by Margaret MacArthur, archived at the Vermont Folklife Center.

Duration

4:15

Files

vfc2003-0007_ot2003-3013b-006_barbara-allen_sh.mp3

Citation

“Barbara Allen (OT2003-3013-006),” Vermont Folklife Center Digital Collections, accessed November 5, 2024, https://vtfolklifearchive.org/collections/items/show/1144.

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