Barbara Allen- Goodman (TN) 1932 Anderson A
[From: Geneva Anderson. "A Collection of ballads and songs from East Tennessee." Master's Thesis, University of North Carolina, 1932.
R. Matteson 2015]
A. Barbara Allen- Lorane(sic) Goodman of Robertson High School, TN. Learned from Mable Woodall.
1. It was in the merry month of May,
When flowers were a-blooming,
Henry Willis on his death-bed lay,
For the love of Barbara Allen.
2. He sent one his servants (to the town),
To the town where she did dwell in,
"My master has sent me here,
May your name be Barbara Allen!"
3. So slowly, slowly she got up,
And slowly she went to him,
And said when she got there,
"Young man, I think you're dying."
4. Do you remember the other day,
When we were in a tavern,
You drank a health to the ladies all around,
And slighted Barbara Allen
5. He turned his pale face to the wall,
He turned his back unto her'
"Adieu! adieu, to my friends all
Be kind to Barbara Allen."
6. She was on and through the town,
She heard the death bells ringing,
And every cruel stroke seemed to say,
"Oh, cruel Barbara Allen."
7. She looked to the east, she looked to the west,
And saw his pale corpse coming,
She said, "Oh, lay him down,
"That I may look upon him."
8. The more she looked the more she grieved,
Then she burst out crying;
"Oh, pick me up and carry me home
For I feel like dying."
9. They buried Sweet Willis in the old churchyard,
And Barbara in the new one,
And fro m Willie's grave there grew a rambling rose,
And from Barbara's a green brier.
10 And they grew to the old church wall,
Until they could not grow any higher,
There they tied in a true-lover's knot.
And the rose outgrew the brier.*