Barbry Ella- Hogan (TN) 1965 Burton/Manning
[From Folklore: Folksongs I by Burton and Manning, 1967.
cf. Anderson
R. Matteson 2015]
BARBRY ELLA (child 84)
tonality: hexatonic IIIa; range: octave + M2
(Cf. Mrs. Coyle's variant.)
Barbry Ella- Sung by Mrs. Hogan, April 16, 1965. Most of her songs were learned from her grandfather. Collected by Charlene Cureton.
1. In Scarlet town, where I was born
There was a fair maid dwelling
Made every youth cry, "Well-o-way,"
And her name was Barbry Ella.
2. It was in the month of May
When the green buds were swelling,
Sweet William came from a western state,
And courted Barbry Ella.
3. It was in the month of June
When the flowers was a-blooming,
Sweet William on his death bed lay,
For the love of Barbry Ella.
4. He sent his servant to the town
Where Barbra was a-dwelling,
My master's sick and ends for you
If your name is Barbry Ella."
5. "Oh yes, hers sick and very sick,
And death is on him dwelling;
No better, no better he never will be,
For he can't have Barbry Ella."
6. "As I was going through the field,
I heard the death bells tolling;
And every stroke did seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbry Ella."
7. As I going through the fields,
The birds they kept on singing;
They sang so clear they seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbry Ella."
8. "I looked to the east, I looked to the west;
I saw his corpse a-coming;
Lay down, lay down that corpse of clay
That I may look upon him."
9. The more she looked, the more she mourned,
Till she fell to the ground a-crying;
Said, "Take me up and carry me home,
For I am now a-dying."
10. "Oh Father, oh Father, go make my grave;
Go dig it long and narrow;
Sweet William died for me today;
I'll die for him tomorrow."
11. He was buried in the old church yard,
And she was buried a-nigh him.
On William's grave grew a red, red rose,
On Barbry's grew a green brier.
12. They grew and grew to the old church tower
Till they couldn't grow any higher;
They grew and tied in a truelove's knot,
And the rose grew around the brier.