Barbry Ellen- Pine Mountain children (KY) 1916 Wells
[From Wells' The Ballad Tree, 1950. This is the same version published in Pine Mountain Settlement School Song Ballads and other Songs, 1923. Either Wells got her version from that book, or, she gave them her version. Either way no mention was made of the earlier publication.
R. Matteson 2015]
BARBRY ELLEN - As sung by children in the Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, Harlan County, Kentucky, to E. K. Wells, 1916
1 All in the merry month of May,
When the green buds they were swelling,
Young William Green on his death-bed lay
For the love of Barbry Ellen.
2. He sent his servant to the town,
To the place where she was dwelling
Saying, "My master bids you to come
If your name is Barbry Ellen.
3. Then slowly, slowly she got up,
And slowly came she nigh him,
And when she pulled the curtains back,
Young man, I think you're dying.
4. O yes, I'm sick, I'm very very sick
And I never will be any better,
Until I have the love of one,
The love of Barbry Ellen.
5. O don't you remember in yonder town,
In the place where you were dwelling,
you drank the health of the ladies all around,
But you slighted Barbry Ellen.
6. O yes, I remember in Yonder town,
in the place where I was dwelling,
I drank the health of the ladies all around,
But my love was to Barbry Ellen.
7. He turned his pale face to the wall,
And death was in him dwelling,
Adieu, adieu, my kind friends all,
Be kind to Barbry Ellen.
8. As she was going through the field,
She heard the death bells knelling,
And every stroke they seemed to say,
Hard-hearted Barbry Ellen.
9. She looked east, she looked west,
And saw the pale corpse coming,
Go bring him here and lay him down,
And let me look upon him.
10. The more she looked, the more she grieved,
Until she burst out crying.
Go take him away, go take him away,
For I am now a-dying.
11. O Mother, O Mother, come make my bed,
Come make it soft and narrow;
Sweet William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow.
12. O Father, O Father, come dig my grave,
O dig it deep and narrow;
Sweet William died for love of me,
And I will die for sorrow.
13. They buried her in the old churchyard,
And William's grave was nigh her,
And out of his grave there grew a red rose,
And out of hers a briar.
14. They grew and grew to the old church tower,
And they could not grow any higher,
They grew and grew till they lied love knots,
And the rose wrapped round the briar.