Barbry Allen- Driftwood (AR) 1962 Wolf A
[From The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection; Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr.
R. Matteson 2015]
BARBRY ALLEN- Sung by: Jimmy Driftwood; Recorded on 9/9/62
To listen to the original recording:
http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/driftwoodbarbry1250.mp3
Down in Stonington
Young William lay a-dying.
They sent a runner to Stonington
After Barbry Allen.
(Dr. Wolf: "Um, I don't know that tune."
Mr. Driftwood: "Well, that's the only tune I know of it. Of course, when I do this thing on a concert, I do the old tune, then I do what we call Kentucky version, what we call a Tennessee version."
Dr. Wolf: "What do you call a Kentucky version?"
Mr. Driftwood: "I'll go into it.")
"Young man, young man, what's the matter with you?
It seems that you've been running."
"Oh, yes, young miss, I've come for you,
If your name is Barbry Allen."
Then slowly, slowly, she did rise,
And slowly came a-nigh him.
And all she said when she got there,
"Young man, I think you're dying."
(Mr. Driftwood: "Tennessee.")
"Oh, yes, I'm sick, and very sick,
And death is 'round me dwelling,
And I will die before the sun goes down
If I don't get Barbry Allen."
"Oh, yes, you're sick, and very sick,
And death is 'round you dwelling,
And you will die before the sun goes down,
For you can't get Barbry Allen.
"Oh, don't you remember last Saturday night,
While at the tavern a-drinking,
You drank your wine for the ladies all around,
But you slighted Barbry Allen."
"Oh, yes, I remember last Saturday night,
While at the tavern a-drinking.
I drank a health to the ladies all around,
But I love sweet Barbry Allen."
(Mr. Driftwood: "In a concert, I do a modern, jazzed-up version.")
As she was on her homeward way,
The little birds kept singing,
And every song they seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbry Allen."
As she was walking through her fields,
She saw his corpse a-coming.
"Lay down, lay down that corpse of clay,
That I may gaze upon him.
"Oh, mother--oh, mother--go make my bed,
And make it long and narrow.
Sweet William died for me today,
And I'll die for him tomorrow.
"Oh, father--oh, father--go dig me a grave,
And dig it long and narrow.
Sweet William died of pure, pure grief,
And I'll die of sorrow."
Young William . . .
(Mr. Driftwood: "It's awful. I've forgot to where that is now. Let's see . . ."
Dr. Wolf: "Well, you sang about . . . uh . . . eight different versions, didn't you? Different tunes on that?"
Mr. Driftwood: "A little bit of differences, but really, three major ones, and that's a . . .")
"Oh, father--oh, father--go dig me a grave,
And dig it long and narrow.
Young William died for me today,
And I'll die for him tomorrow."
(Dr. Wolf: "Now, which one's that?
Mr. Driftwood: "That's the old original. That's the modal form. That's what Shirley Collins came here for, was to learn the old modal tune to Barbry Allen. Um, Alan told her that I knew it. He heard me sing it. So she came here for that. Uh, I actually did about four tunes, you know . . ."
Dr. Wolf: "Well, she had a pretty one. There was one note in hers that I liked. I don't know where she got it, but it was a Tennessee tune, what you call a Tennessee tune, but with this variation. Let's see . . .")