Barbara Allen- Medars (NC) 1943 Niles B
[From the Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, 1961. Niles notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
The text (without tune) was written in my notebook by Miss Florie Medars, aged 72 years; the place was in Caldwell County, N. C., somewhere between Rhodhiss and Granite Falls, and the date was July 1934. As I have said earlier, she would not sing the ballad, because she said it was too sad for singing.
Barbara Allen (Niles No. 36 B) - from Florie Medars, Caldwell County, NC, July 1934.
1. Early, early in the spring
The spring buds they were swelling.
Sweet William Gay on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.
2. He sent his servant to her tower,
He sent him there a-dwelling,
Said, "Young maiden there's a call for you
If your name be Barbara Allen."
3. Slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she went to him.
And all she said when she got there was,
"Young man I think you're dying."
4. "Oh yes, I'm sick and I'm very sick
And death is with me dwelling,
And never no better shall ever I be
Till I get Barbara Allen."
5. "Oh yes, you're very sick and you're very sick
And death is with you dwelling,
And never no better shall ever you be
For you can't get Barbara Allen."
6 Slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she went from him.
She had not got a mile in town
When she heard the death bells tolling.
7. She looked to the east, she looked to the west.
She saw his cold corpse coming.
"Hand down, hand down that corpse of clay
That I may gaze upon him."
8. First she wept and then she mourn
And then she burst out crying.
"I might have saved that young man's life
If I had done my duty."
9. "Oh Mama, oh Mama, go make my bed,
Go make it long and narrow.
Sweet William Gay died for me today,
I die for him tomorrow.
10. "Oh Papa, oh Papa, go dig my grave,
Go dig it long and narrow.
Sweet William died in love for me,
I'll die for him in sorrow."
11. Sweet William died on Saturday,
Barbara died on Sunday.
Their mothers died for the love of both,
They died the following Monday.
12. They buried Sweet William in one church yard
And Barbara in the other.
From William's grave sprang a red, red rose,
From Barbara's grave a briar.
13. They grew and they grew up the old church's tower,
Till they could not grow no higher.
And they looped and they tied a true love's knot,
The rose around the briar.