Barbery Ellen- Nelson (NS) c.1935 Creighton A
[No date given. From Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia, 1950 Creighton and senior. Most of the versions A-G were collected from the 1930s on and are much older than 1950.
R. Matteson 2015]
Barbery Ellen [A] - Sung by Mr. William Nelson, Kinsac. 1935
Photo of William Nelson, Doreen Senior, Mrs. Nelson, Kinsac, 1935
1. A strange young man from the north country
Fell in love with Barbery Ellen
And he took sick and very very sick,
And there was no one to cure him,
And there was no one to cure him,
And he took sick and very very sick,
And there was no one to cure him.
2. So then he sent for his own true love
In the place where she was dwelling,
So then he sent for his own true love
In the place where he was dwelling,
So then he sent for his own true love
In the place where he was dwelling.
3. Slowly, slowly she put on her clothes,
Slowly she came to him,
And the very first words she said unto him,
"Young man you are a-dying,"
And the very first words she said unto him,
"Young man you are a-dying. "
4 "A dying man," he says, "I am,
One kiss from you will cure me,"
"One kiss from me you'll never never get
If I thought your heart was breaking,
One kiss from me you'll never never get
If I thought your heart was breaking. "