Barbara Ellen- Moores (OH) pre1939 Eddy A
[No date given, most of Eddy's version are much older than the publication date. From Ballads and Songs from Ohio; Eddy, 1939.
R. Matteson 2015]
BONNY BARBARA ALLEN
(Child, No.84)
A. BARBARA ELLEN. From Mrs. Melissa Moores, Pemysville, Ohio.
In Storytown where I did live,
There was a fair maid dwelling;
a young man on his death - bed lay
For the love of Barbara Ellen.
He sent his servant man away
To the place where she was dwelling;
"My master dear has sent me here
In the name of Barbara Ellen."
But slowly, slowly she arose,
And slowly she came to him,
But all she said when she came to him:
"Young man, I think you're dying.
"For death is pictured on your brow,
And sorrow in your dwelling,
But none the better will you be
For loving Barbara Ellen."
He turned his back unto this maid,
His face unto the wall;
Said he: "Adieu to all good friends,
But woe unto Barbara Ellen."
She hadn't gone three miles from town
Until she heard the death bells tolling,
And under the tolling of it cried
Hard-hearted Barbara Ellen.
Then she looked east and she looked west,
She saw his corpse a-coming;
"Come, lay you down cold corpse of clay,
That I may look upon you.
"Oh, hell must be my name," said she,
"Oh, hell must be my future;
I might have saved this young man's life
Ry trying my endeavor.
"Oh, pick me up and carry me home,
For death has on me seized;
My true love died for me yesterday,
I will die for him tomorrow."
They were buried in the new churchyard,
She was buried by his side,
And out of her grave there grew a rose,
And out of his a brier.
They grew in length, they grew in strength,
Until they could grow no higher,
Then they met at the top and tied in a true lovers' knot,
Both of the rose and the brier.