The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19122   Message #956755
Posted By: Roberto
21-May-03 - 04:04 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Barbara Allen (different versions)
Subject: Lyr Add: BARBARA ALLEN / BARBARY... / BAWBEE...
BARBARA ALLEN, versions sung by Sarah Makem; Seannachie; Jean Redpath; Martin Carthy; Ewan MacColl; Nic Jones; Jody Stecher; Elizabeth Cronin.

a)-Barbara Allen, sung by Sarah Makem, 1967

Michaelmas day being in the year
When the green leaves they were falling
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 coming,
"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."
"Oh 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."
"Oh father 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-dying."
"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 breathing
For the better of me you never will be
If your heart's blood was a-spilling."

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

"Look at my bedhead", he said
"And there you'll find it ticking,
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 ringing
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-coming,
"Lay down,lay down,old weary corpse
Till I get looking upon him."

They lifted the lid up off the corpse.
She bursted out with laughing.
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.

b)-Barbara Allen, sung by the Scottish group Seannachie

'T was in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swelling,
Sweet William on his death-bed lay
For love of Barbara Allen

He sent his servant to the town,
The place where she did dwelling
Saying, "Master dear has sent me here
If your name be Barbara Allen."

And slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she went to him
But all she said when there she came
Was, "Young man, I think you're dyin'."

"Do you remember the other night
When we were in the tavern,
You drank a toast to the ladies there
And slighted Barbara Allen…"

He's turned his face unto the wall
He's turned his back upon her,
"Adieu, adieu to all my friends,
But be kind, be kind to Barbara Allen."

As she was wanderin' o'er the lea
She heard the death-bell knelling
And every note did seem to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."

c)-Barbarry Allan, sung by Jean Redpath

I fell in love with a nice young girl
Her name was Barbarry Allan;
I fell in love with a nice young girl
Her name was Barbarry Allan.

Till I fell sick and very ill,
I sent for Barbarry Allan;
Till I fell sick and very ill,
I sent for Barbarry Allan.

She pull'd the curtains round my bed
And says, "Young man,you're dyin'."
She pull'd the curtains round my bed
And says, "Young man,you're dyin'."

"A kiss o' you would dae me guid
A kiss o' you would cure me."
"But a kiss o' me ye ne'er shall hae
Tho' your poor heart lies a-breakin'."

"It's look ye up at my bed heid
And see what you'll find hangin',
A silver watch and a guinea gold chain
That hangs there for Barbarry Allan,
That hangs there for Barbarry Allan.

It's look ye down at my bedside
And see what you'll find sittin',
A basin full o' my heart's tears
That is there for Barbarry Allan,
That is there for Barbarry Allan."

She hadna gane a mile or twa
When she heard the death-bell ringin'
And every toll they seem'd to say,
"Cruel-hearted Barbarry Allan",
"Cruel-hearted Barbarry Allan."

"O mother dear,it's mak' my bed
And mak' it soft and narrow
For my true love has died for me
An' I'll die for him tomorrow,
An' I'll die for him tomorrow."

d)-Barbary Ellen, sung by Martin Carthy

All in the third part of the year
When green leaves they were fallin'
Young Johnny Rose all down from the North
Fell in love with Barbary Ellen

He sent his men down through the town
To the place where she was dwellin'
Saying, "Lady, come quick and come very quick
If your name be Barbary Ellen."

So slowly slowly she rose up
So slowly she put on her
So slowly come to his bedside
And so slowly she looked upon him

"You're lyin' low,young man", she cries,
"And death is with you dealin'
But the better for me you never shall be
Tho' your heart's blood was spillin'."

"O look at my bed-head", he cries,
"And there you'll find it ticking,
My gold watch and my gold chain
I bestow to you, my Ellen.

And look at my bed-foot", he cries,
And there you'll find them lyin',
My sheets and bloody shirts,
I sweat them for you, my Ellen."

"Tell me do you mind the time", she cries,
"All in the tavern swilling;
You made the health of all round the place
But never for your love Ellen."

She walked over yon garden field
She heard the dead-bell knelling
And every stroke that the dead-bell gave
It cried, "Woe be to you now, Ellen."

As she walked over the garden field
She saw his corpse a-comin',
"Lay down, lay down your weary load
Until I get to look upon him."

She lifted the lid from off the corpse,
She bursted out with laughin',
And all of his friends that stood round about
They cried, "Woe be to you now, Ellen."

She came home to her father's house,
"Make my bed long and narrow
For young Johnny Rose died for me today
And I must die tomorrow."

They buried her all in the churchyard,
They buried him in the choir,
And out of him there grew a red rose
And out of her a briar

They grew, they grew all in the churchyard
Till they could grow no higher,
They twisted and twined themselves in a knot,
As the rose grew all round the briar.

e)-Bawbee Allan, sung by Ewan MacColl

It fell aboot the Martinmas time
When the green leaves they were fallin';
Then Sir John Graeme, o' the North Countrie
Fell in love with Bawbee Allan.

He's sent a man a' through the toon
Tae the place where she was dwellin',
"Come doon, come doon to my master dear
Gin yer name be Bawbee Allan."

Oh hooly, hooly rose she up
And slowly she gaed to him;
An' when she cam' tae his bedside
"Young man, I think you're dyin'"

"It's I am sick and very sick
An' it's a' for Bawbee Allan."
"It's better for me ye'll never be
For bonnie Bawbee Allan.

"When ye were in the tavern, sir
An' at the wine a'swillin'
Ye made the toast gang roon and roun
And ye slighted Bawbee Allan."

He's turned his face unto the wa'
An' death was wi' him dealin'
"Then fare ye weel, my dear friends a'
But be kind to Bawbee Allan.

"Then pit your hand anienst the wa'
And there ye'll find a token,
Wi' my gold watch and my gold ring
Gie that tae Bawbee Allan.

"Then pit your hand anienst my side
An there ye'll find a warran'
An there ye'll get my blood-red sark
It bled for Bawbee Allan.

She had nae gane a step, a step,
When she heard the deith bell knellin'
And ilka clap the deith-bell gied
Said "Wae" tae Bawbee Allan.

"Oh mither, dear, ye'll mak' my bed
Ye'll mak' it saft and narrow;
My love has died for me this day
I'll die for him tomorrow.

f)-Barbara Ellen, sung by Nic Jones

In Scarlet town where I was born
In the place where she was dwelling
A young man on his death bed lay
All for the love of Barb'ry Ellen, Ellen
For the love of Barb'ry Ellen

Well, he sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwelling
Saying, Arise, arise young woman, he said
If your name be Barb'ry Ellen, Ellen
If your name be Barb'ry Ellen

Slowly, slowly she rose up
And slowly she drew nigh him
And the only words that he heard her say
Were, Young man, I think you're dying, dying
Young man I think you're dying

Oh, a dying man, oh don't say so
For your love is all I'm needin'
One kiss, one kiss from your rosy lips
That's all that I am needin', needin'
That's all that I am needin'

But don't you remember last Saturday night
When you were in the alehouse drinking
How you drank the health of every young maid
But not to Barb'ry Ellen, Ellen
But not to Barb'ry Ellen

As I was walking through yonder grove
I heard the death bell tollin'
And every stroke rang out for shame
Hard-hearted Barb'ry Ellen, Ellen
Hard-hearted Barb'ry Ellen

As I was walking through yonder town
I saw his coffin coming
Lay down, lay down that I might see
That I might gaze upon him, upon him
That I might gaze upon him

The more she looked and the more she laughed
And further she drew from him
And it's all the people cried out for shame
Hard-hearted Barb'ry Ellen, Ellen
Hard-hearted Barb'ry Ellen

Now it's mother, oh mother go dig my grave
And won't you dig it both long and narrow
For this young man he's died for love
And I shall die of sorrow, sorrow
And I shall die of sorrow

Now Barb'ry Ellen she was buried in the old churchyard
Laid young William over in the choir
And out of his heart there grew a red rose
And out of Barb'ry Ellen's a briar, a briar
And out of Barb'ry Ellen's a briar

They grew and they grew in the old churchyard
Until they could grow no higher
And it's there they formed into a true lover's knot
Red rose around the briar, the briar
Red rose around the briar

Near Scarlet town where I was born
Near the place where she was dwelling
A young man on his death bed lay
All for the love of Barb'ry Ellen, Ellen
For the love of Barb'ry Ellen

g)-Barbary Ellen, sung by Jody Stecher

Away low down in Stony Town when red leaves they were fallin'
Little Jimmy Grove from the west country came courtin' Barbary Ellen

So early early in the spring when green buds they were swellin'
Little Jimmy Grove on his death bed lay for lovin' Barbary Ellen

And oh he hired a little boy to run for him an errand
He sent him down into the town and bring him Barbary Ellen

Arise arise her mother cries, arise and go ye nigh him
Oh mother oh mother don't you mind the time you told me to deny him?

Slowly slowly she drew nigh to the place where he was dwellin'
Young man young man you're going to die for slighting Barbary Ellen

She came to the door and she entered in the place where he was lyin'
And every word she said to him : young man I think your dyin'

I'm low, I'm low, I'm low I know, and death is in my dwellin'
No better, no better I never will be if I can't have Barbary Ellen

You're very low and bound to go and death is on you dwellin'
No better for me you ever shall be and you can't have Barbary Ellen

Remember down in yonders town you passed the drinks so willin'
You handed wine to the ladies fine and you slighted Barbary Ellen

I remember down in yonder's town and in the tavern dwellin'
I gave my wine to some other girls and my love to Barbary Ellen

In vain, in vain my love has called and death is in me dwellin'
He turned his face to the milk white wall and his back to Barbary Ellen

She started out across the fields and heard the spring birds callin'
And every bird song seemed to sing: hard hearted Barbary Ellen

When she was halfway cross the field she heard those death bells knellin'
They rang so near, they rang so clear: hard hearted Barbary Ellen

As she walked into Stony Town the tears they started swellin'
And every tear she shed appeared: unworthy Barbary Ellen

As she came to the end of town she heard his coffin comin'
She cried aloud for to set him down that she might gaze up on him

The more she gazed the more she mourned until she burst with sorrow
Sweet Jimmy died for me today I'll die for him tomorrow

Mother Oh Mother Oh Mother she cried, you would not let me have him
Mother Oh Mother Oh Mother she cried, you would not let me have him

Mother Oh Mother come make my bed oh make it soft and narrow
Little Jimmy died of pure pure love, I'll die for him of sorrow

They buried Jimmy in one church yard and Barbary in another
And from her breast sprang a red red rose and from his feet a briar

They grew and they grew to the top of the church
They could not grow no higher
They lapped and they tied in a true lover's knot
Red rose around green briar

h)-Barbara Allen, sung by Elizabeth Cronin

It was early, early in the summer-time
When the flowers were freshly springing
A young man came from the North Country
Fell in love with Barbara Allen
Fell in love with Barbara Allen
A young man came from the North Country
Fell in love with Barbara Allen

He felt sick and very, very bad
And more inclined to die.
He wrote a letter to the old house at home
To the place where she was dwelling
To the place where she was dwelling
He wrote a letter to the old house at home
To the place where she was dwelling

Very slowly she got up
And slowly she came to him.
The first word she spoke when she came there
Was, Young man, I fear you're dying,
Young man I fear you're dying.
The first word she spoke when she came there
Was, Young man, I fear you're dying.

Dying, dying, not at all, He said,
One kiss from you would cure me.
One kiss from me you ne'er shall see
If I thought your heart was breaking
If I thought your heart was breaking
One kiss from me you ne'er shall see
If I thought your heart was breaking.