The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #157044   Message #3704553
Posted By: Richie
27-Apr-15 - 11:54 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Barbara Allen
Subject: Lyr Add: BARBARA ALLAN
Hi,

The first US broadside I have access to is a reprint of Ramsay titled, Bonny Barbara Allan- Sold wholesale and retail, by L. Deming, corner of Merchant's Row and Market Square, Boston., 1829.

Percy's English version (Child Bd) is reprinted in The United States Songster: a choice selection of about one hundred and seventy of the most popular songs; Cincinnati OH, 1836.

The next US print version dated c. 1844 is given in full. Read footnotes below:

Barbara Allan- Forget-Me-Not Songster (MA) c. 1844 The Forget Me Not Songster, Containing a Choice Collection of Old Ballad Songs, as Sung by Our Grandmothers

It fell about the Martinmas day,
When the green leaves were falling.
Sir James the Graham in the west country
Fell in love with Barbara Allan.

She was a fair and comely maid,
And a maid nigh to his dwelling,
Which made him to admire the more,
The beauty of Barbara Allan.

O what's thy name my bonny maid,
Or where hast thou thy dwelling,
She answer'd him most modestly,
My name is Barbara Allan.

O see you not yon seven ships, [1]
So bonny as they are sailing,
I'll make you mistress of them all,
My bonny Barbara Allan.

But it fell out upon a day,
At the wine as they were drinking,
They toasted their glasses around about,
And slighted Barbara Allan.

O she has taken't so ill out,
That she'd no more look on him.
And for all the letters he could send,
Still swore she'd never have him.

O if I had a man, a man,
A man within my dwelling,
That will write a letter with my blood,
And carry't to Barbara Allan.

Desire her to come here with speed,
For I am at the dying.
And speak one word to her true love,
For I'll die for Barbara Allan.

His man is off with all his speed,
To the place where she is dwelling,
Here's a letter from my master dear,
Gin ye be Barbara Allan.

O when she looked the letter upon,
With a loud laughter gi'd she,
But e'er she read the letter through,
The tear blinded her eye.

O hooly, hooly,[2] rose she up,
And slowly gaed she to him,
And slightly drew the curtains by,
Young man I think you're dying.

O I am sick, and very sick,
And my heart is at the breaking,
One kiss or two of thy sweet mouth,
Would keep me from the dying.

O mind you not young man, said she,
When you sat in the tavern,
Then you made the health go round,
And slighted Barbara Allan.

And slowly, slowly, rose she up,
And slowly, slowly left him,
And sighing said she could not stay,
Since death of life had reft him.

She had not gone a mile from the town,   
Till she heard the dead bell knelling,
And every knell that dead bell gave,
Was wo to Barbara Allan.

Now when the virgin heard the same,
Sure she was greatly troubled,
When in the coffin his corpe she view'd,
Her sorrows all were doubled.

What! hast though died for me, she cried.
Let all true lovers shun me,
Too late I may this sadly say,
That death has quite undone me.

O, mother, mother make my bed,
O make it soft and narrow,
Since my love died for me to-day,
I'll die for him to-morrow.

1. This is the distinctive stanza also found in the Pearl Songster of 1845. This stanza was mentioned by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe as being sung in Annandale. See quote earlier in this thread- above.

2. Scottish for slowly, slowly (sometimes sung "slow-lie"). The fact that this is "hooly" instead of slowly" shows that it was taken from an earlier print source such as the Tea-Table Miscelleny (Child Aa, printed in Glasgow) which has that stanza and is nine stanzas total. Additional stanzas have been added and the first line and other places have been changed slightly. Neither version has the rose-and-briar ending.