Barbrew Allen- Jones (NC) 1941 Warner B
[From Traditional American Folk Songs; Warner 1984. The Warners collected two versions from Rebecca King Jones (b. 1866) in 1941. This is version 1, Version 2 (only one stanza) will appear below.
R . Matteson 2015]
Barbrew Allen- Version I- sung by Rebecca King Jones of Crab Tar Creek, NC in 1941.
In yonders town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwelling.
She was a maiden of youth, which I do not know,
But her name was Barbrew Allen.
One morning in the month of May
When the red buds they were swelling,
Young William Green on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbrew Allen.
He sent his servant to this town
To the place where she was dwellin',
Saying, "O my love, I will call for you
If your name be Barbrew Allen."
So she arose and went to him
To the place where he was lying,
And every word she could say to him,
"Young man I believe you are dying."
"Oh, yes, I am sick and I'm very sick,
And I'm on my deathbed lying,
But one sweet kiss from your rosy lips
Mought[1] save me from dying."
He raised his hands from the cold clad sheets
Where his body was lying,
She drew herself away from him,
"Young William, I cannot have you."
So he turns his face against the wall,
She turns her back upon him,
Says he, "Say adieu to the ladies all
And adieu to Barbrew Allen."
So she arose and left the room
Where her true love was dying,
And all the friends there seems to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbrew Allen."
So she walks away across the fields
As if to drew herself from him,
And all the little birds singing seems to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbrew Allen."
So she did not get more than a half a mile
Before she heard those death bells ringing,
And they rang so clearly and seems to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbrew Allen."
So lay him down here upon the ground
And let me look upon him,
Then the more she looked the more she weeped,
And she broke down in crying.
So she stooped and kissed his cold pale cheeks
That she had refused him dying,
says' "Mother, o Mother, you're the cause of this,
You would not let me have him."
"Mother, O Mother, go make my bed,
Co make it soft and narrow,
For William Green has died for pure pure love,
But I will die for sorrow."
"Father, O Father, go and dig my grave,
Go dig it deep and narrow,
For William Green has died for me today,
I will die for him tomorrow."
"He will be buried in the old churchyard,
And I shall be buried by him."
And out of his grave springs a red rose vine,
And out of hers a sweet brier.
And they grew and grew to the old church top,
And they could not grow any higher,
And locked and tied in a true lover's knot,
And the rose run around the brier.
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Barb'ra Allen- Version 2
One morning in the month of May,
Sweet flowers they were blooming,
My master says, I must come there,
If my name be Barb'ra Allen.