Barb'ry Ellen- Harmon (MA) pre1939 Linscott
[From Folk Songs of Old New England, Linscott, 1939. Her notes (shortened) follow. Linscott implies that the ballad was brought to the US in 1635, which, although possible, is unconvincing.
R. Matteson 2015]
BARB'RY ELLEN
or
BARBARA ALLEN
Sung by Mary Elwood Harmon of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who remembers it from her father's singing. He was a descendant of Ralph Ellwood (Ellingwood), who came from England on the ship Truelove in September, 1635, to Salem. This text and tune are traditional in the singer's family. The song as given here is an especially simple and primitive version.
BARB'RY ELLEN
1. In Lim'rick city he was brought up,
And Dublin was his station,
He fell in love with a nice young girl,
Her name was Barb'ry Ellen.
2.When he took sick and very ill,
He sent for Barb'ry Ellen,
But when he came, was all she said,
"Young man, I think you're dying."
3 "Dying. Oh, no! That ne'er can be-
One kiss from you would cure me."
"One kiss from me you never shall get
If your very heart was breaking."
4 He died and was buried in the churchyard near,
And she was buried in the choir.
And out of his grave grew a red, red rose,
And out of hers grew a brier.
5 They grew and grew to the steeple top-
They could not grow any higher.
And then they twined in a truelove's knot
The red rose and the brier.