Barbary Allen- Norton (TN) 1916 Sharp E
[From: English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians I, 1917 and 1932. This was collected by Rawn in Georgia and given to Campbell.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
Sharp diary 1916 page 265. Saturday 2 September 1916 - Rocky Fork
Went off directly after breakfast, i.e. about 7.30 to Mrs Coates — rained nearly all the way. I sheltered under a borrowed umbrella, Maud in her oil skin. Didn’t get much for an 8 mile walk. Returned to dinner at noon. At 2 o’clock I sallied forth again and repeated the walk to catch Mr Crane but found him out & returned with nothing but tired feet for my pain except for a couple of songs I got from the Nortons — rather good ones. In the evening the mail came from England and brought me the terrible news about poor George Butterworth’s death. Go to bed feeling very very sad.
Barbary Allen- Norton (TN) 1916 Sharp E from English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians
1 All in the month, the month of May,
They green buds they were swelling.
They swelled till all pretty birds chose their mates,
And Barbary her Sweet William.
2 He sent a letter through the town
To Barbary Allen's dwelling,
Saying: Here's a young man sick and he sends for you,
For you to come and see him.
3 She walked in, she walked in,
She placed her eyes upon him.
The very first word that she said to him:
Young man, I think you're dying.
4 I know I'm sick and very sick,
And sorrow it is dwelling with me.
No better, no better I never will be
Until I get Barbary Allen.
5 I know you're sick and very sick,
And sorrow it is dwelling with you.
No better, no better you never will be,
For you'll never get Barbary Allen.
6 He turned his pale face to the wall,
He burst out a-crying,
Saying : Adieu, adieu to the ladies all around,
Farewell to Barbary Allen.
7 Don't you remember last Saturday night
When I were at your tavern,
You swang you treated the ladies all around,
You slighted Barbary Allen.
8 She rode, she rode a mile from town
The small birds they were singing,
They sung so loud, they sung so swift,
Hard-hearted Barbary Allen.
9 She looked East, she looked West,
She saw the cold corpse coming,
Saying: Lay him down on this cold ground
And let me look upon him.
10 The more she looked the more she mourned
Till she burst out a-crying,
Saying: I could have saved this young man's life
If I'd a-tried my true endeavour.
11 O mother, O mother, O fix my bed,
Go fix it long and narrow.
Sweet William he died for me to-day,
And I'll die for him tomorrow.
12 O father, O father, go dig my grave,
Go dig it deep and narrow.
Sweet William he died for me to-day,
And I'll die for him tomorrow.
13 They buried Sweet William in the old churchyard
And Barbary close by the side of him.
At the head of Sweet William's grave there sprung a red rose
And Barbary Allen's was a briar.
14 They grew, they grew to the top of the church
And they could not grow any higher.
They leaned and tied in a true lover's knot
And the rose hanged on to the briar.