Lyr Req: Barbara Allen (from Jimmy Stewart)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: Roberto
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 02:40 AM

Dear Mrs Jean Ritchie, I didn't know that "kytrad" was you in person before Mr Art Thieme told me. It is really an honour. I do thank you for your reply. I know very well and treasure your recording of Barbara Allen, the first time I've heard it was many years ago, from one of your two Folkways lps on Child Ballads. Now I also have it on the Smithsonian CD. Thank you again and best wishes. Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 07:04 PM

Roberto- Someone has refreshed this year-old thread, and I realize that it's a long time I've taken to find this song for you...Reasons: All our collected material is on tapes, recorded on an early tape recorder (Magnacord,or Magnacorder, I think- I'm forgetting names of things at my age). Good quality, but now the tapes are brittle and fragile, and the old Magnacorder is missing bits and pieces and is hard to load and manage without breaking the tapes. But I promise I'll get my family involved and we'll set it up; surely you'll get an answer in 2006...? Meanwhile, here's some background, if you'd like.

Jimmy Stewart was Jeannie Robertson's uncle, and it was Jeannie who brought us to see him. We visited, talked and recorded out of doors, on a hillside in Scotland. He was a fine friendly old man, kept insisting that his voice wasn't what it used to be, and had to excuse himself for coughing several times during his singing of the ballad. But he had a good voice and it is a grand version of, "Barbara Allen." He also gave us, "Forester in These Woods," and a few others before his voice gave out. I don't think that George took his camera along that day, so we don't have a photo of him- I've always regretted that. We do have some of Jeannie, however, and Isaac, and Lizzie, along with Hamish Henderson (our guide though Scotland) and me on the parapet at Edinburgh Castle, with Auld Reekie in the background. What memories!

As to Barbara Allen, it was a favorite in our Kentucky family, only we named her, Barbry Ellen- and thought of it as a double-first name, since everyone in the American south in those days had a middle name...what her last name was, we didn't know nor care about! It's on my ballad CD at Smithsonian Folkways (recorded as an album in the 50s for Folkways), and I guess that's how it got heard and used as the beginning song on the "Rose and Briar" CD this past year.

Barbara Allen is such a widely known song, that I used it as my best collecting technique throughout England, Scotland and Ireland in 1952-53. People would ask what sort of song we were looking for, and I'd ask them if they knew Barbara Allen, maybe sing a few verses of "my" version for them- their faces would light up, and they'd know that it was the beloved OLD songs we were after. Barbary Ellen surely did make many friends for us!

All the best, and good luck on your quest,    Jean Ritchie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 30 Oct 05 - 12:36 AM

"Huntly toon"?---"Hunting Tower"? The lyrics are new to me!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 29 Oct 05 - 08:51 PM

Roberto,

I hope you know that when you are in touch with kytrad, you are speaking to Lady Jean herself. (One o' the perks o' Mudcat ;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 29 Oct 05 - 07:19 PM

I haven't heard your original but guess that "O Hunting (?)" may be something to do with a town, ie "a(t) ?? to(w)n"? It's obviously a location.

Subject: Lyr Add: BARBARA ALLEN (from Jimmy Stewart)
From: Roberto
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 03:04 PM

I think I'm near to get the right text. Here is my last version. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. R

O Hunting (?) I was bred and born
Scotland was my dwellin' O
I fell in love of a nice young girl
And her name was Barb'ra Allen O
And her name was Barb'ra Allen O

I courted her for seven long year
I couldnae court her longer O
But I fell sick and very ill
And I sent for Barb'ra Allen O
And I sent for Barb'ra Allen O

As when she come to my bed-side
She says – Young man, you're dyin' O
Oh, dyin' – I said – it cannot be
One kiss from you will cure me O
One kiss from me you'll never get
Lang as your hard heart's a-breakin' O
Lang as your hard heart's a-breakin' O

O turn my back intae the wall
And my face 'fore Barb'ra Allen O
... adieu tae me and adieu tae you
Be kind to Barb'ra Allen O
Be kind to Barb'ra Allen O

And look you up at my bed-heid
And you'll see what you'll see hangin' there
A guinea gold watch and a silver chain
Gie that tae Barb'ra Allen O
Gie that tae Barb'ra Allen O

And look you doon at my bed fit
And you'll see what you'll see standin' there
A china basin fu' o' tears
We shed for Bar'ba Allen O
We shed for Bar'ba Allen O

She was nae one mile fae the toon
She heard the deid-bells tollin' O
When every toll did seem to say:
Hard-hearted Barb'ra Allen O
Hard-hearted Barb'ra Allen O

O mother, O mother make me my bed
And make it long and narrow
My true love died for me today
An' I'll die for him tomorrow

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: Roberto
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 03:50 AM

Kytrad, not for the DT, although when someone is lookig for a text I have, I post it. The text is part of the whole thing, and when your mother language is not English, it is important to fill the gap. And I agree with Bloom, the American literary scholar, some of the best poetry in English is to be found in the big ballads. And I'm interested in the variations offered by the different renditions of the traditional songs. And these songs are part of my life since I was a boy (and now I'm nearly 50). It is to get the meaning of these songs that I began learning English. And I think it is a pity that these texts are not know as they would deserve to people outside the world of folk music enthusiasts. It is a corpus of poetry that should be known, at least by students. And there are so many great recordings of these ballads and songs in the 20th Century. Now I've asked your question one. Lay the bent to the bonny broom. I hope I'll get my transcription done. Fa la la la la la la la la. Best wishes. Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 08:40 PM

I'll have to listen to my record again, to see what you're missing. Why are you doing this, Roberto? Is it for Digital Traditions?

Subject: Lyr Req: Jimmy Stewart's Barbara Allen
From: Roberto
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 01:08 PM

From JEAN RITCHIE - FIELD TRIP, Greenhays 726, 1954 recordings, a version of Barbara Allen sung by Jimmy Stewart, North-East of Scotland. Please, help me complete and correct this attempt of a transcription. Thank you. Roberto

O Hunting (?) I was bred and born
Scotland was my dwellin' O
I fell in love of a nice young girl
And her name was Barb'ra Allen O
And her name was Barb'ra Allen O

I courted her for seven long year
I couldnae court her longer O
But I fell sick and very ill
And I sent for Barb'ra Allen O
And I sent for Barb'ra Allen O

As when she come to my bed-side
She says – Young man, you're dyin' O
Oh, dyin' – I said – it cannot be
One kiss from you will cure me O
One kiss from me you'll never get
Lang as your heart ... a-breakin' O
Lang as your heart ... a-breakin' O

O turn my back intae the wall
And my face 'fore Barb'ra Allen O
... adieu tae me and adieu tae you
Be kind to Barb'ra Allen O
Be kind to Barb'ra Allen O

And look you up at my bed-heid
And you'll see what you'll see hangin' there
A guinea gold watch and a silver chain
Gie that tae Barb'ra Allen O
Gie that tae Barb'ra Allen O

And look you doon at my bed fit
And you'll see what you'll see standin' there
A chain (?) ... a basin fu' o' tears
We shed for Bar'ba Allen O
We shed for Bar'ba Allen O

She was nae one mile fae the toon
She heard the deid-bells tollin' O
When every toll did seem to say:
Hard-hearted Barb'ra Allen O
Hard-hearted Barb'ra Allen O

O mother, O mother make me my bed
And make it long and narrow
My true love died for me today
An' I'll die for him tomorrow