Barbary Allen- Shepherd (NC) 1923 Carter JOAFL
[From Some Songs and Ballads from Tennessee and North Carolina by Isabel Gordon Carter; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 46, No. 179 (Jan. - Mar., 1933), pp. 22-50. Her notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
SOME SONGS AND BALLADS FROM TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA
ISABEL GORDON CARTER
During the summer of 1923, while collecting folk stories in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, the writer heard many songs and ballads and took down the words of fifty of them. During the past twenty years so much excellent work has been done in recording both the words and music of old songs in the United States that some hesitancy is felt in publishing these songs without the accompanying music. The following thirty have been selected, however, as worthy of publication due to their interest as new ballads such as "Alcoa Mule" and "Little Mary Phagan"; or because they have not previously been recorded from this section as "Old King Kind"; or, more frequently, because they are variants which may be of interest to the student of folk songs.
5. BARBARY ALLEN - Recorded from Abie Shepherd, Bryson City N. C.
I. In Scarland town, where I was born,
There was many fair ladies dwelling,
I choose me one for to be my own,
Her name was Barbary Allen.
2. If I was a man and a mighty man,
A man of my own dwelling,
I would write me a letter of my own heart blood
And send to Barbary Allen.
3. Oh yes I'm a man and a mighty man,
A man of my own dwelling,
I'll write me a letter of my own heart blood
And send to Barbary Allen.
4. All in the merry month of May,
While the green buds were a swelling;
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For the love of Barbary Allen.
5. He sent his servants to the town,
To this young lady's dwelling;
"My master dear has sent me here
For the Lady Barbary Allen."
6. Slowly, slowly rose she up,
And went to where he was lying;
And when she reached him then she spoke,
"Young man I think you're dying."
7. "Oh yes I'm sick, and very sick,
And feel so much like dying;
No better will I ever be
Till I get Barbary Allen."
8. "Oh yes you're sick and very sick
And look very much like dying,
No better will you ever be
For you can't get Barbary Allen."
9. He turned his pale face to the wall;
He turned his back upon them;
"Adieu, adieu, to my friends all
Be kind to Barbary Allen."
10. And as she rode from Scarland town,
She heard those death bells ringing;
And as they rung she thought they sung,
"Hard-hearted Barbary Allen."
11. Then looked she east, and looked she west,
Till she saw the cold corpse coming.
"Ah, hand me down that fair young man
That I may look upon him."
12. The more she looked, the more she wept,
Till she cried out in sorrow:
"Sweet William died for me to-day,
I'll die for him to-morrow."
13. Barbary lies in the King's Churchyard
Sweet William close beside her;
And out of her grave sprang a red, red rose
And out of his a briar.
14. They grew and grew up the old church tower
Till they could grow no higher;
In there they tied a true love knot,
With a red rose round the briar.