Barbry Allen (Barbara Allen)- Couch (KY) 1953 REC Roberts
[My title. From Sang Branch Settlers, Roberts, 1974. This is a good example of the modal tune of Barbara Allen. A detailed annotation can be found in "Sang Branch Settlers: Folksongs and Tails of a Kentucky Mountain Family" by Leonard Roberts.
R. Matteson 2012]
Barbry Allen (Barbara Allen- sung by Dave Couch with banjo accompaniment by brother Jim and recorded in Harlan County, Kentucky by Leonard Roberts 2-1-53.
[Listen: Barbara Allen- sung by Dave Couch]
It was all in the month of May
When the green buds all were swellin',
Sweet William rode from the western states,
And courted Barbry Allen.
He wrote a sentence to the town
The place where she was a-dwellin',
Saying, "Master's sick and he sent for you
If your name be Barbry Allen."
So slowlye, slowlye, she got up
And hated to deny him,
All she said when she got there,
"Young man I believe your're dyin'."
I am sick and I'm very sick
And feel so much like dyin',
No better, no better will I never get,
Till I get Barbry Allen.
So slowlye, slowlye, she got up
And started off to leaving,
He turned his pale face to the wall,
And bursted out in cryin'.
6. When she was on her highway home
Little birds kept singing around her
They sang so sweetly and heartfelt joy
"Hard-hearted Barbry Allen."
7. She looked to the east and then to the west,
She saw some cold corpse standing,
"Lie down, lie down, cold corpse," she said,
"And let me look upon you."
8. "I can't lie down, I can't lie down,
I can't lie down to save you,
I am a cold corpse of clay,
I can't let you look upon me."
9. She turned her face all down the road
And bursted out to crying,
"O mother, O mother, you're the one to blame,
You would not let him marry him."
10. "Mother, mother, go make my bed,
Go make it long and narrow,
Sweet William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow."
11. Sweet William died on Saturday night,
And Barbary died on Sunday,
Her mother died for the love of both,
And all were buried on Monday.
12. Sweet William was buried in one church door,
And Barbary buried in the other,
A red rose sprung from Barbary's grave,
And a green briar sprung from William's.
13.They growed to the top of the old church house,
They could not grow any higher,
They lapped and tied in a truelove knot,
And then they died for loving.