Barbara Ellen- Quillen (AL-MS) pre-1936 Hudson H
From Arthur Palmer Hudson's Folksongs of Mississippi, 1936. Hudson's notes follow. This resembles Child B, Percy's version (Bd). Stanzas 1-4 supplied from F.
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.
H. Barbara Ellen. Copy obtained by Mr. T. A. Bickerstafl in Tishomingo County from the singing of Mr. f. E. Quillen, who came from Maud, Alabama. Fourteen stanzas. Close to F through the first four stanzas, then as follows: [1-4 supplied from F]
[1 In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry welaway;
Her name was Barbara Ellen.
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 Ellen.
3 "And death is printed on his face,
And o'er his heart is stealing;
Then haste away to comfort him,
O lovely Barbara Ellen."
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 He turned his face unto her straight,
With deadly sorrow sighin',
"O pretty maid, come pity me,
I'm on my death-bed lyin'."
6 "If in your death-bed you do lie,
What need the tale you're tellin',
I cannot keep you from your death.
Farewell!" said Barbara Ellen.
7 He turned his face unto the wall,
And death was with him dwellin'.
"Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
Adieu to Barbara Ellen."
8 As she was walking o'er the fields,
She heard the bells a-knellin',
And every stroke did seem to say,
"Unworthy Barbara Ellen."
9 She turned her body round about
And spied the corpse a-comin';
"Lay down, lay down the corpse," she said,
"That I may look upon him."
10 With scornful eyes she then looked down,
Her cheeks with laughter swellin',
While all her friends cried out amain,
"Unworthy Barbara Ellen!"
11 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.
12 "Hard-hearted creature him to slight
Who loved me all so dearly.
Oh, that I'd been more kind to him
When he was alive and near me!"
13 She on her death-bed as she lay
Begged to be buried by him,
And sore repented of the day
That she did e'er deny him.
14 "Farewell," she said, "ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in.
Henceforth take warning of the fall
Of cruel Barbara Ellen."