Barbara Allen- (NY) pre1939 Thompson A
[From: Body, Boots, & Britches: Page 379 by Harold William Thompson - 1939. He calls it " . . a version collected in the North Country."
His A version sounds very generic. Thompson give three versions from NY, two are partial versions and C has a few unusual stanzas.
R. Matteson 2015]
Barbara Allen- No informant named or info provided; "a version collected in the North Country." (NY state)
In Scarlet town where I was born,
there was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry wellaway,
and her name was Barbara Allen.[1]
All in the merry month of May,
when the green buds were a-swelling.
Sweet William came from the Western States
and courted Barbara Allen.
It was all in the month of June,
when all things there were blooming,
Sweet William on his deathbed lay
for the love of Barbara Allen.
He sent his servants to the town
where Barbara Allen was dwelling.
"My master is sick and sends for you,
if your name be Barbara Allen."
"And death is painted on his face
and o'er his heart is stealing;
Then hasten away to comfort him,
O lovely Barbara Allen."
So slowly, slowly she got up,
and slowly she came nigh him,
And all she said when she got there,
"Young man, I think you're dying."-
"O yes, I'm sick and very sick,
and Death is on me dwelling;
No better, no better, I never can be
if I can't have Barbara Allen."
"O don't you remember in yonder town
when you were at the tavern.
You drunk a health to the ladies all around
and slighted Barbara Alien
As she was on the highway home,
the birds they kept a-singing;
They sang so clear they seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."
She looked to the east, she looked to the west,
she spied his corpse a-coming.
"Lay down, lay down, that corpse of clay,
that I may look upon him.
The more she looked, the more she mourned,
till she fell to the groung a-crying,
Saying, "Take me up and carry me home,
for I am now a-dying.
"O mother, mother, go make my bed;
go make it long and narrow.
Sweet William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow."
She was buried in the old churchyard,
and he was buried nigh her;
On William's grave there grew a red rose,
on Barbara's grew a green briar.
1. Pronounced dwellin and Allin.