Barbara Allen- McAdams (MS) pre-1936 Hudson F
[From Arthur Palmer Hudson's Folksongs of Mississippi, 1936. Hudson's notes follow. This resembles Child B, Percy's version (Bd).
R. Matteson 2015]
BONNY BARBARA ALLEN
(Child, No. 84)
As is the case in other Southern states the balladry of which has been extensively gleaned, so in Mississippi this is the best known of the traditional English and Scottish ballads. The Mississippi collection made under my direction contains sixteen texts, and the number might easily have been doubled. All these are fairly complete; each has some distinctive feature or features.
Since the number of texts is so large, it is deemed permissible to omit from some of them stanzas practically identical with those given in full length texts and to reproduce only those stanzas of some texts that have interesting or significant variant details.
For other American variants, see Brown, p. 91 Campbell and Sharp, No. 21; Cox, No. 16; Davis, No. 24; Perrow, "Songs and Rhymes from the South, Journal, XXVIII, 144-46 (two texts from Mississippi recovered over twenty years ago); Pound, No. 31 Scarborough, p. 59; Wyman and Brockway, p. 1; Newell, No. 19, who notes that the ballad was once used as a game at evening parties in New England; and Reed Smith, No. 8. Add Mackenzie, p. 100; Barry, No. 19.
F. Barbara Allen. From a copy obtained by Mr. F. B. Ladd, Charleston, from the singing of Mr. I. W. McAdams, Oakland. This is a condensed and somewhat moralized variant of Child's B.
1 In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry welaway;
Her name was Barbara Allen.
2 All in the merry month of May,
When green buds then were swelling,
Young Jimmie Grove on his death-bed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.
3 "And death is printed on his face,
And o'er his heart is stealing;
Then haste away to comfort him,
O lovely Barbara Allen."
4 So slowly, slowly she came up,
And slowly she came nigh him;
And all she said when she came there,
"Young man, I think you're dying."
5 When he was dead and in his grave,
Her heart was struck with sorrow;
"O mother, mother, make my bed,
For I shall die tomorrow.
6 "Farewell," she said, "ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in.
Henceforth take warning by the fall
Of cruel Barbara Allen."