Barbara Allen- Schell (NC) 1933 Matteson BOOK
[From: Beech Mountain Folk-Songs and Ballads- Collected, arranged, and provided with piano accompaniments by Maurice Matteson and Mellinger Henry; 1933.
My grandfather, Maurice Matteson, was a folk song collector for part of his career. He was a classically trained singer and was chairman of the music program at the University of South Carolina (1921-1936). He married pianist Augusta Lofton (March 17, 1898- Aug. 16, 1988) on June 26, 1924. In 1932 he was in charge of the vocal work at the Southern Appalachian Music Camp held at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. During a summer vacation near the camp, he met Mellinger Henry, a folk song collector, who convinced my grandfather to help him with the musical scores. Henry had already collected songs from Rena Hicks and others in the area. The next summer (1933) they began collecting songs from Nathan Hicks and others from the area which resulted in his short book, Beech Mountain Folk-Songs and Ballads- Collected, arranged, and provided with piano accompaniments by Maurice Matteson. Texts edited and foreword written by Mellinger Edward Henry. Schirmer's American Folk-Song Series, Set 15. G. Schirmer, Inc. (1936).
This would have been one of the earliest folk songs my grandfather collected in 1933. He continued to collected folk songs off and on until the late 1940s.
R. Matteson 2012]
Barbara Allen- Mrs. J. E. Schell (Banner Elk, NC) 1933 Matteson BOOK
One bright day in the month of May
When all things they were blooming.
This young man was taken sick,
For the love of Barbara Allen.
He sent his servant to her town,
He sent him to her dwelling.
"Here's a message for the lady fair,
If your name be Barbara Allen."
Slowly, slowly she got up,
And slowly she went to him,
But all she said when she got there,
Was, "Young man, I think you're dyin'."
"Oh, yes, I'm sick, very sick,
And I feel very much like dying,
I shall never see my time again,
If I don't get Barbara Allen."
"Oh, yes, you're sick, and very sick,
And you look very much like dying,
You shall never see your time again
For you'll never get Barbara Allen."
As she was riding towards her home,
She heard the birds a-singing.
They sang loud and whistled so clear,
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."
She looked to the east, she looked to the west,
She saw his corpse a-coming;
"Lay down, lay down that deathly frame,
That I may look upon it."
The more she looked, the more she wept,
Until she burst out crying:
"I might have save one young man's life
If I'd a done my duty."
"Oh, mother, dear mother go make my bed,
And make it soft and easy
Sweet William died for me today;
I'll die for him tomorrow."
Sweet William died on Saturday eve,
And Barbara died on Sunday,
Her mother died for love of both--
She died on Easter's Monday.
William was buried in the new church yard,
And Barbara was buried beside him,
Out of William's grave sprang a blood-red rose,
And out of Barbara's a briar.
And there they grew to the new church door,
Till they could grow no higher-
And there they lied in a true lover's knot,
The rose ran 'round the briar.