Barbara Allen- Galbraith (SK) pre1903 Cass-Beggs
[From Folkways Album No. FE 4312; 1963. FOLKSONGS OF SASKATCHEWAN- Collected and with notes by Barbara Cass-Beggs
R. Matteson 2015]
BARBARA ALLEN - Molly Galbraith pre-1924 learned from her father Ballylennon, of County Donegal. Her father learned it before he came to Canada in 1903.
Christmas comes but once a year,
And the green leaves they are fallin',
Young Jammie Grove on his death bed lay
For the love o' Barbara Allen.
"Get up, get up," her mother said,
"Get up and go and see him."
"O Mother, Mother dear, do you mind yon day
You told me for to shun him."
"Get up, get up," her father said
"Get up and go and see him,"
"0' Father, Father dear, do you mind yon day
You brought out your gun to shoot him."
Slowly, slowly, she got up,
And slowly she got on her
And slowly to his bed side went,
And she said ''Young man you're dying."
"O yes, O yes, I feel very sick,
But I think that you could spare me,
One kiss from your ruby ruby lips," he said,
"And name me, Barbara Allen."
"One kiss from me you never will see,
If I saw your heart's blood flying,
For in the garden walking one day,
You slighted Barbara Allen."
"A kiss from you, I was ever true,
And I am not denying,
I plucked a rose for the ladies there
But I still loved Barbara Allen."
"Look up, look up, at my bed head,
And there you'll see hanging
A watch and chain, a diamond ring,
I bought for Barbara Allen."
"Look down, look down, at my bed side,
And there'll you see lying,
A napkin stained with my wet tears,
For the love o' Barbara Allen."
He turned his pale face to the wall,
And death came to him creeping
"Mother, Mother dear," he said to her
"Be kind to Barbara Allen."
She went out for a morning walk,
She saw a corpse a coming,
The birds of the air, they seemed to say,
"Hard hearted Barbara Allen."
"O, Mother, Mother, dig my grave,
And dig it long and narrow
For the love that died for me today,
I will die for him tomorrow."
One was buried in St. Paul,
The other in Mary's Tower,
And out of her grave grew a red red rose,
And out of his grave grew a brier.
They grew so high, so very very high
That they could grow no higher,
They twisted at the top, to a true lover's knot
And there they remain forever.