BARBARA ALLEN
As recorded by Sarah Makem, on "Voice of the People, Volume 17: It Fell on a Day, a Bonny Summer day; Ballads", Topic TSCD 667; Barbara Allen recorded 1967 and first released on Topic 12T182

Michaelmas day bein' in the year
When the green leaves they were fallin',
When young Jimmy Grove from the north country
Fell in love with Barbara Allen.

He sent his servants out one day
To see if she was comin'.
"One word from you will bring me to
If you be Barbara Allen."

"Get up, get up", her mama said.
"Get up and go and see him."
"O mama dear, do you not mind the time
That you told me how to slight him?"

"Get up, get up", her father said.
"Get up and go and see him."
"O Dada dear, do you not mind the time
That you told me how to shun him?"

Slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she put on her
And slowly went to his bedside
And slowly looked upon him.

"You're lying low, young man," she said,
"And almost near a-dyin."
"One word from you will bring me to
If you be Barbara Allen."

"One word from me you never will get
Nor any young man breathin',
For the better of me you never will be
If your heart's blood was a-spillin'."

"Look at my bed foot," he said,
"And there you'll find them lyin':
Bloody sheets and bloody shirts
I sweat for Barbara Allen.

"Look at my bed head," he said,
"And there you'll find it tickin':
My gold watch and my gold chain
I bestow to Barbara Allen."

As she went over her father's green
She heard the dead-bell ringin'
And every chap the dead-bell gave
It was woe to Barbara Allen.

As she went over her father's hall
She saw the corpse a-comin'.
"Lay down, lay down, old weary corpse
Till I get lookin' on him."

They lifted the lid up off the corpse.
She bursted out with laughin',
And all his wearied friends around
Cried: "Hard-hearted Barbara Allen!"

As she went into her father's house:
"Make my bed long and narrow,
For the dead-bell did ring for my true-love today.
It will ring for me tomorrow."

Out of one grave there grew a red rose
And out of the other a briar,
But they both twisted into a true lover's knot
And there remain forever.


On another thread, I had asked for a staff notation or abc of the tune sung by Sarah Makem, but couldn't get it. Anyone can help? Thanks. R