Barbry Allen- Chapman (MO) c.1898 Randolph A
[From Vance Randolph's Ozark Folksongs Vol. I, 1946. 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 Barbry or "the."
R. Matteson 2015]
Barbry Allen- Sung by Mrs. Margaret Lillie Chapman of Rockaway Beach, Mo., July 3, 1931. Learned from her mother in the late 90's.
'Twas in the merry month of May,
When the green leaves they were buddin',
Sweet William Gray on his death-bed lay,
For the love of Barbry Allen.
He sent his servant unto her,
To the place where she was a-dwellin',
My master's sick and he sent for you,
If your name is Barbry Allen.
Slowly, slowly she arose,
And slowly she went to him,
And all she said when she got there
Was my love, I'm afraid you're a-dyin'.
He turned his pale face to the wall,
She turned her back upon him,
Ht bid adieu to the lalies around,
Be kind to Barbry Allen.
She had not rode a mile from town
Till she heard the death bells tollin',
She cried aloud for to set him down
That she might look upon him.
The more she looked, the more she wept
Till she burst out cryin',
Sweet William died for me today,
And I'll die for him tomorrow.
They buried Sweet William 'neath the high church tower,
And by him Barbry Allen,
And out of his grave grew a lily-white rose,
And our of her grave grew a brier.
They grew and they grew to the high church tower,
And there they couldn't grow any higher,
And there they tied in a true lovers' knot,
Both the lily-white rose and the brier.