Bar'bra Allen- C. Robinson (KS-NY) 1931 booklet
[From the booklet, Joe Davis Folio of Carson J. Robison Songs (1931) p. 8. The hyphen in her name is in the wrong place- it should be Barb'ra but I've left it. The copyright is by "E.V. Body" which is for Everybody- a joke I suppose by Carson.
This is one of the earliest printed versions which begins:
1. In London City where I once did did dwell,
There's where I got my learning
and is much different than Frank Luther's recorded version (1928) and Dalhart's version (1927) both recorded in NYC and Robison was surely familiar with both of these. Carson moved from Kansas to NYC in 1924.
R. Matteson 2015]
Bar'bra Allen- By E.V. BODY
1. In London City where I once did did dwell,
There's where I got my learning
I fell in love with a pretty young girl,
Her name was Bar'bra Allen.
2, I courted her for seven long years,
she said she would not have me,
There straightway home as I could go
and liken to a dying.
3. I wrote her a letter on my death bed,
I wrote it slow and moving,
"Go take this letter to my old true love
and tell her I am dying."
4. She took the letter in her lily-white hand,
she read it slow and moving,
"Go take this letter back to him,
and tell him I am coming."
5. As she passed by his dying bed
she saw his pale lips quivering;
"No better, no better I'll ever be
until I get Bar'bra Allen."
6. As she passed by his dying bed:
"You're very sick and almost dying,
No better, no better you will ever be,
for you can't get Bar'bra Allen."
7 . As she went down the long stair steps
she heard the death bell toning,
And every bell appeared to say;
"Hard-hearted Bartbra Allen!"
8. As she went down the long piney walk
she heard some small birds -singing,
And every bell appeared to say;
"Hard-hearted Bar'bra Allen."
9. She looked to the East, she looked to the West,
she saw the pale corpse corning,
"Go bring them pale corpse to me,
and let me gaze upon her."
1O. Oh mama, mama, go make my bed,
go make it soft and narrow!
Sweet Willie died today for me,
I'll die for him tomorrow!"
11. They buried Sweet Willie in the old church yard,
they buried Miss Bar'bra beside him,
And out of his grave there sprang a red rose,
and out of hers a briar.
12. They grew to the top of the old church tower,
they could not grow any higher,
They hooked, they tied in a true lover's knot,
red rod[1] around the briar.
1. rose, presumably a editorial mistake