Barbra Allen- young woman (MO) 1924 Randolph F
[My title. From Ozark Folksongs; Randolph, I, 1946, p. 132-133 (F). Randolph's notes include this curious comment, "There are several commercial records of this ballad, of which those by Al Craver (Columbia 15126-D) and Vernon Dalhart (Brunswick 117) are probably the best." It should be noted that Dalhart and Craver are the same person!! Craver is one of the many pseudonyms Dalhart used to record for different companies.
Randolph who frequently uses apostrophes for "the" (th')-- doesn't use one for Barbra.
R. Matteson 2015]
F. Barbra Allen. Sung by a young woman in Joplin, Mo., July 4, 1924. A native of rural Arkansas, this singer requests that her name shall not be printed in any "hillbilly" book.
Twas' in the very month of May,
When the green buds they was swellin',
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For the love of Barbra Allen.
He sent his servants into town,
An' there unto her dwellin',
Sayin' Mosso's[1] sick, an' sent for you,
If your name is Barbra Allen.
So slowly, slowly she got up,
An' slowly she went to him,
She drawed the curtains from Willie's pale face,
Sayin' young man, you're a-dyin'.
Don't you remember the other night,
A-settin' in the tavern,
A-drinkin' wine with the ladies all,
An' you slighted Barbra Allen.
Oh yes, I remember the other night,
A-settin' in the tavern,
A-drinkin' wine with the ladies all,
But I never seen Barbra Allen.
So slowly, slowly she got up,
An' slowly she went from him,
She hadn't went but a mile or two
Till she heard the death bell tollin'.
She looked to the East an' she looked to the West,
She seen the chariots a-comin',
With two gray horses a-workin' in the breast,
An' Willie's corpse behind 'em.
Oh mother, oh mother, go dig my grave,
An' dig it both long an' narrow,
Sweet William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow.
They buried her in the old church yard,
An' they buried him beside her,
An' out of his breast grew a red rose bush,
An' out of her'n a brier.
They grew an' they grew to the top of the church,
Till they could not grow no higher,
They linked and they locked in a true love knot,
For all true lovers to admire.
1. massa's = master's