Cowboy's Barbara Allen- Bray (WY) 1962 Thieme
[From Art Thieme, Mudcat Forum. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012]
Art Thieme: In 1962 a friend and I were heading west. Stopped in a bar in Cheyenne, Wyo where we met Del Bray, an older gent who had been a cowboy. He got a 6-pack (I was too young to drink legally then) and we went up to his room in his hotel and we swapped some songs. Mostly he knew Country songs---Hank Williams etc. I asked if he knew any older songs or ballads & he sang me a version of "B. Allen" that I scribbled down on the back of the proverbial envelope. It was a cowboy version of the song:
BARBARA ALLEN- Del Bray's "Cowboy's Barbara Allen" on Kicking Mule KM 150- Art Thieme
(1) Near Medicine Bow where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin',
Made all the boys ride saddle sore,
And her name was Barbara Allen.
(2) It was in the merry month of May,
The green buds they were swellin',
Billy come to the western range,
Come a-courtin' Barbara Allen.
(3) In the merry month of June,
The green leaves they were bloomin',
Billy on his death bed lay,
Just for courtin' Barbara Allen.
(4) He sent a message out to her,
To the place where she was dug in,
"Come and see young Billy quick,
For I fear that he is dying"
(5) Slowly, slowly she got up,
Slowly she went to him,
And when she pulled the blanket back,
Said, "Bill, I guess you're dyin'"
(6) "Yes, I'm sick, I'm very sick,
And I never will be better,
Unless I get the love of you,
The love of Barbara Allen."
(7) As she went walkin' back through the brush,
She heard the cattle moanin',
And every moan they seemed to say,
Hard hearted Barbara Allen.
(8) "Mother, mother go make my bed,
Make it soft & narrow,
Young Billy died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow."
(9) "Father, father dig my grave,
Dig it deep and narrow,
Billy died for me today,
And I'll die for him tomorrow."
(10) We buried her in the old church yard,
Bill, his grave was nigh her,
And from his grave grew a red, red rose,
And from hers grew a briar.
(11) They tangled 'round the marker rocks,
They couldn't grow no higher,
And there they tied a true-love knot,
The rose and the thorny briar!