Barbara Allen- Dusenbury (AR) 1931 Randolph K
[My title. Two stanzas from Ozark Folksongs; Randolph, I, 1946, p. 131(E). Randolph's notes include this curious comment, "There are several commercial records of this ballad, of which those by Al Craver (Columbia 15126-D) and Vernon Dalhart (Brunswick 117) are probably the best." It should be noted that Dalhart and Craver are the same person!! Craver is one of the many pseudonyms Dalhart used to record for different companies.
R. Matteson 2015]
K. Barbara Allen. Contributed by Professor F. M. Goodhue, Mena, Ark., Jan. 27, 1931. Professor Goodhue had it from Mrs. Emma Dusenbury, who lives near Mena.
She had not gone but a mile out of town,
Till she heard his death bell ringing,
An' every knock they seemed to say
Hard-hearted Barbara Allen.
As she was sitting in her door next day
She heard his death bell tolling,
She looked to the east, she looked to the west,
She saw his corpse a-coming.
Hand down, hand down, that corpse of clay,
An' let me look upon him.
The more she looked the worse she felt
Till she bursted out a-cryin'."
Oh. cursed, cursed by my name,
An' cursed be my nature,
For I might have saved this young man's life
By showing my endeavor!