Barbry Allen- McCord (MO) c.1892 Randolph J; also Owens A, 1939.
[From Ozark Folksongs - Randolph, I, 1946, P. 134 (J). Bronson 163. Randolph's notes include this curious comment, "There are several commercial records of this ballad, of which those by Al Craver (Columbia 15126-D) and Vernon Dalhart (Brunswick 117) are probably the best." It should be noted that Dalhart and Craver are the same person!! Craver is one of the many pseudonyms Dalhart used to record for different companies.
Randolph who frequently uses apostrophes for "the" (th')-- doesn't use one for Barbry.
Owens provides an additional opening verse, added in parenthesis. Since the text is so different, I'm including Owens text at the bottom of this page.
McCord was also collected by Parler for the Ozark collection.
R. Matteson 2015]
"Barbry Allen" - Sung by Mrs. May Kennedy McCord, Springfield, Mo., December 10, 1936. Learned from her mother in Stone County, Mo., in the early 1890's. Collected and noted by Sidney Robertson.
[In Scarlet town where I was born
There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry, "Way-la-way,
Oh, here comes Barbry Allen."]
'Twas in th' merry month of May,
Th' green buds were a-swellin',
Young William on his death bed lay,
For th' love of Barbry Allen.
They sent a servant to the town
Where Barbry was a-dwellin',
Arise, arise you up an' come
If your name be Barbry Allen.
He turned his face unto the wall,
His nose gushed out a-bleedin',
Adieu, adieu to the gals all round,
Be kind to Barbry Allen.
___________________________________
[From: William A. Owens, 1950, "Texas Folk Songs," pp. 49-53, with music. Texas Folklore Society, No. XXIII, University Press in Dallas.]
Barbara Allen
In Scarlet town where I was born
There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry, "Way-la-way,
Oh, here comes Barbara Allen."
'Twas in the merry month of May,
The green buds were a-swelling,
Sweet William on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.
They sent a servant to the town
Where Barbara was a-dwelling,
Saying, "Rise, oh, rise you up and go
If your name be Barbara Allen."
Ao slowly, slowly she rose up,
And slowly she came nigh him,
And these the words she said to him
Was, "Young man, I think you're dying."
Oh, yes, I'm sick and very sick,
And death is on me dwelling,
And one sweet kiss would comfort me
From the lips of Barbara Allen."
"Oh, yes, you're sick and very sick,
And death is on you dwelling,
But one sweet kiss you never will have
From the lips of Barbara Allen.
"Oh, don't you remember on a wedding night
When we were at the tavern,
You drank a health to the ladies round,
But you slighted Barbara Allen?"
"Oh, yes, I remember on a wedding night
When we were at the tavern,
I drank a health to the ladies round,
But my heart was barbara Allen."
He turned his face to the pale cold wall,
And death was on him dwelling:
"Farewell, farewell to all false maids,
And woe to barbara Allen."
When she was walking in the field
She heard the death bell knelling,
And every toll, it seemed to say,
:Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."
She looked to the east, she looked to the west,
And she saw the cold corpse coming
"Lay down, lay down that cold, cold corpse
That I may gaze upon him."
The more she looked, the more she mourned
Till she fell to the ground a-crying,
Saying, "Pick me up and carry me home,
For I am now a-dying.
"Oh, mother, mother, go make my shroud,
Go make it long and narrow;
Sweet William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow.
"Oh, father, father, go dig my grave,
Go dig it long and narrow
Sweet William died for me for love,
I'll die for him for sorrow."
They buried her in the lone church yard,
Sweet William lay a-nigh her,
And out of his grave grew a red, red rose,
And out of hers grew a briar.
They climbed, they climbed, to the tall church top,
Till they could go no higher,
And there they tied in a true lover's knot,
The rose wrapped around the briar.