Barbara Allen- Proffitt (NC) 1939 Brown 4B
[Partial text (2 verses) given with music. From the Brown Collection; Volume 4, 1957. The Brown editors' notes follow. As far as I know this was not recorded or collected from Proffitt by Warner or Paton although they had the opportunity to do so.
This is the more modern version and an excellent complete text from other extended family member (Harmon/Presnell) is included below. Proffitt's version had stanzas 1 and 3 of the complete text. If you use Proffitt's opening begin on stanza 4 of the Harmon/Presnell text.
R. Matteson 2015]
27. Bonny Barbara Allan (Child 84)
Of all the ballads in the Child collection this is easily the most widely known and sung, both in the old country and in America. Scarcely a single regional gathering of ballads but has it, and it has been published in unnumbered popular songbooks. See BSM 60-1. Mrs. Eckstorm in a letter written in 1940 informed me that she and Barry had satisfied themselves, before Barry's death, that as sung by Mrs. Knipp to the delight of Samuel Pepys in 1666 it was not a stage song at all but a libel on Barbara Villiers and her relations with Charles II; but so far as I know the details of their argument have never been published. The numerous texts in the North Carolina collection may conveniently be grouped according to the setting in three divisions: (1) those that begin in the first person of Barbara's lover (or at least of the narrator), (2) those that begin with a springtime setting, and (3) those that begin with an autumnal setting. Of course those in group 1 may also have either the springtime or the autumnal setting. The rose-and-brier ending is likely to be attached to any of the texts. The lover's bequests to Barbara, a feature not infrequent in modern British versions but unusual in America, appears once in the North Carolina texts, in F. The first person of the lover commonly is dropped after the opening stanza, but in F it holds through four stanzas. Not all of the texts are given in full.
B. 'Barbara Allen.' Sung by Frank Proffitt. Recorded at Pick Britches, Sugar Grove, Watauga county, July 24, 1939. The skip of a descending diminished fifth (measure 15), revealing a more recent influence, is not to be found in any of the songs of this name contained in the Sharp collection.
For melodic relationship cf. **FSF 287, No. 161 C, first four and last two measures ; *SharpK i 194, No. 27L, measures 2 and 5. This latter version is the only occurrence of this type of progression in all the versions of this song found in the Sharp collection. Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: abaicaiba2d (2,2,2 2,2,2,2,2) = aa1a1a1 (4,4,4,4).
Barbara Allen (Child 84) - sung by Lena Harmon and Hattie Presnell on March 21, 1969.
1. In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin'
Made every youth cry "Well a-way,"
Her name was Barbara Allen.
2. All in the merry months of May,
When the green buds they were swellin',
Sweet William came from the western states,
And courted Barbara Allen.
3. Then in the lovely month of June,
When all things they were bloomin',
Sweet William on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.
4. He sent his servant to the town
Where Barbara was a-dwellin';
"My master's sick, and he sends for you
If your name be Barbara Allen."
5. "For death is printed on his face
And o'er his heart is stealing;
Oh, come away to comfort him,
Oh, lovely Barbara Allen."
6. So slow, so slowly she got up,
And slowly she came nigh him;
And all she said when she got there,
"Young man, I think you're dyin'."
7. "Oh, Yes, I'm sick and very sick,
And death is on me dwellin';
No better, no better I lever will be
If I can't have Barbara Allen."
8. "Oh, yes, you're sick and very sick,
And death is on you dwellin';
No better, no better you never will be
For you can't have Barbara Allen."
9. "Oh, don't you remember in yonders town,
In yonders tavern a-drinkin'?
You drank a health to the ladies around
And slighted Barbara Allen."
10. "Oh, yes, I remember in yonders town,
In yonders tavern a-drinkin';
I drank a health to the ladies around,
MY heart to Barbara Allen."
11. He turned his face unto the wail;
He turned his back upon her,
"Adieu, adieu to all my friends;
Be kind to Barbara Allen."
12. As she was walkin' through the field,
She beard the bells a-ringin';
They rang so loud they seemed to say,
"Unworthy Barbara Allen."
13. As she was walkin' through the town,
She heard the birds a-singin';
They rang so clear they seemed to say,
"Hardhearted Barbara Allen."
14. She looked to the east, she looked to the west;
She saw the corpse a-comin',
"Lay down, lay down the corpse," she said,
"That I may look upon him."
15. The more she looked, the more she moaned;
She fell on the ground a-cryin',
"Oh, pick me up and carry me home
For I feel like I am dying."
16. "Oh, Mother, oh, Mother, go make my bed;
Go make it long and narrow.
Sweet William died for me today;
I'll die for him tomorrow."
17. "Oh, Father, oh, Father, go dig my grave;
Go dig it long and narrow."
Sweet William died for true, true love,
And I will die from sorrow."
18. They buried her in the old churchyard,
And he was buried nigh her.
On William's grave grew a red, red rose;
On Barbara's grew a green briar.
19. They grew to the top of the old church wall;
They could not grow any higher.
They linked and twined in a true love's knot,
And the rose grew around the brier.