The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #79832 Message #1449828
Posted By: Roberto
02-Apr-05 - 03:52 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Barbara Allan (Sarah Makem)
Subject: Lyr Add: BARBARA ALLEN (from Sarah Makem)
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