Lyr Req: Barb'ry Allen (from Tom Rush)

Subject: Lyr Add: BARB'RY ELLEN (Tom Rush)
From: GUEST,Roberto
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 02:14 PM

Please, somebody to check this transcription, and fill the gaps in stanzas 7 and 8. Thank you. Roberto
BARB'RY ELLEN, Tom Rush, on The Prestige/Folklore Years volume one, All Kinds of Folks, Prestige/Folklore PRCD-9901-2; song originally recorded 1963, on Tom Rush, Blues, Songs, Ballads, Prestige PR 7374

In Scarlet Town where I did dwell
There was a fair maid dwelling
And many lads cried: Well-a-day!
For love of Barb'ry Ellen

And in the merry month of May
When green buds they are swelling
Sweet William on his death-bed lay
For love of Barb'ry Ellen

Now he sent his servant down to her
And down where she was dwelling
He said – You must come to my master dear
If your name be Barb'ry Ellen

Well, slowly, slowly rose she up
And slowly drew she nigh him
And the only words to him she said:
Young man, I think you're dyin'

Well, he turned his face unto the wall
And death was with him dealing
He said – Farewell, my comrades all
Be kind to Barb'ry Ellen

Now as she walked her long way home
She heard the death-bell knelling
And every stroke did seem to say:
Hard-hearted Barb'ry Ellen!

Now her younger sister, she came to her
She said – Bonny Barb'ry, take him!
O, ... time ... to tell me now (O, it's time enough to tell me now?)
When his head-stone they are making

And her older sister, she came to her
She said – Bonny Barb'ry, take him!
O, ... time ... to tell me now
When his grave clothes they are making

Now mother, mother, go make my bed
And you make it soft and narrow
Sweet William died for me today
I'll die for him tomorrow

Sweet William was buried in the old church-yard
Now Barb'ry Ellen in the choir
Out of his breast there grew a rose
And out of hers a briar

Well, they grew and they grew to the old church top
Till they could grow no higher
And there they twined in a true lover's knot
For all true lovers to admire

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tom Rush's Barb'ry Ellen
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 03:11 PM

Roberto, put Barbara Allen in the handy white search box--at least 5 versions in the data base and many threads discussing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tom Rush's Barb'ry Ellen
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 05:22 PM

Roberto, sounds right to me except Rush sings 'Allen' not 'Ellen' and that is on the sleeve too. I think he intends to sing 'And many a lad cried' in line 3, but omits 'a'. He also drops final consonants to rhyme with 'Allen': 'dwellin'', 'swellin'', 'dealin'', 'knellin'' etc.


Now her younger sister, she came to her
She said – Bonny Barb'y, take him!
O, it's time enough to tell me now
When his head-stone they're a-makin'

And her older sister, she came to her
She said – Bonny Barb'y, take him!
O, it's time enough to tell me now
When his grave clothes they're a-makin'


For some reason - possibly to suggest sibling familiarity - in these 2 stanzas only, he seems to drop the 'r' out of Barb'ry, to sound like 'Barb'y' He seems to put an 'a' in elsewhere too - for example, 'death bell a-knellin''.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tom Rush's Barb'ry Ellen
From: GUEST,Roberto
Date: 17 Nov 03 - 04:37 AM

Thank you, Stewie. Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tom Rush's Barb'ry Ellen
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 17 Nov 03 - 01:55 PM

I have heard the version referred to by Roberto only once live---Nic Jones, over forty years back in Hexham Northumberland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tom Rush's Barb'ry Ellen
From:
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 02:35 AM

ive been looking for this song for ages for a friend she said her father taped it years ago from the everly brothers only 2 verses she wrote them down and if your interested twas in the merry month of may,WHEN FLOWERS WERE A BLOOMING also sweet wllie not william anyway have wrote out lyrics shell be happy thankyou kindly