The Burly Burly Banks of Barbree-O- Moses (NH) pre-1941; Flanders B
[From Flanders' Ancient Ballads, 1960- version B. Coffin's notes follow. The second text (not traditional- based on the Moses text) is from Dad's Dinner Pail and Other Songs From the Helen Hartness Flanders Collection by Debra Cowan. She adds another verse from Child F with brothers names at the end. Peggy Seeger also covered this ballad, see her text at bottom of this page.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
Babylon
(Child 14)
This song is quite hard to find in Anglo-American tradition, although it is known to most of the Germanic peoples. It has been collected in New England, the Maritime Provinces, and the Appalachians, but has not been popular enough to spread West.
The Flanders A version, in which the youngest sister kills the brother, is unique to America. The B-D texts follow the Child A story and seem to have borrowed from "High Barbary" in their refrain. Phillips Barry (British Ballads from Maine, 72) found a fragment in Maine which seems to relate to Child F, and he also points out in BFSSNE, VII,6, that Child E, from G. R. Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballad's ([London, 1827], 212), introduces the girl's brother as a means of thwarting the robber. The villain is to be hanged or fed to toads or rattlesnakes, even though the rattlesnake is not found in Britain. However, there cannot be much variation in a ballad tradition as sparse as that of the Anglo-American "Babylon."
Consult coffin, 46-47 (American); and Greig and Keith, 15 and l2l (Scottish), for further remarks and bibliography.
All three of the tunes for Child 14 are related. The Porter tune corresponds to BC1 group B, while the Moses and Barton tunes belong with BC1 group A. The beginning of Barton, however, corresponds to that of Porter. For melody relationships for all three, see GN, 10 and Maud Karpeles Folk Songs from Newfoundland (1934), II, 78-82. Evidently this tune family is restricted to northeastern North America.
B. The Burly Burly Banks of Barbree-O- As sung by Jonathan Moses of Orford, New Hampshire. Learned from his parents, Margaret Barton Moses, born in Montpelier, Vermont, and, Ora Moses, born in Barnard, Vermont. In 1942, when Mr. Moses sang this song, he did not repeat the last two stanzas. M. Olney, Collector August 23, 1951; Structure: A B C D (2,2,2,2); Rhythm C; Contour, arc, Scale: Dorian; t.c. D. Note the 3/2 measure in the third line.
The Burly Burly Banks of Barbree-O - As sung by Jonathon Moses- as printed in Ancient Ballads, version C.
There was three sisters picking flow'rs
High in the lea and the lonely-O.
They scarce had picked but one or two
On the burly, burly banks of Barbree-O.
They scarce had picked but one or two
On the burly, burly banks of Barbree-O.
It's there they spied a bank-robber bold,
It's there they spied a bank-robber bold.
He took the oldest by the hand;
He 'hirled her 'round; he made her stand.
Saying, "Will you be a bank-robber's wife?
Or will you die by my penknife?"
"No, I wunt be a bank-robber's wife;
I'd d'rather die by your penknife!"
Then he took out his penknife
And sadly ended her sweet life.
He took the next one by the hand,
He 'hirled her 'round; he made her stand.
Saying, "Will you be a bank-robber's wife
Or will you die by my penknife?"
"No, I wunt be a bank-robber's wife,
I'd rather die by your penknife!"
Then he took out his penknife,
It's there he ended her sweet life.
He took the youngest by the hand,
He 'hirled her 'round; he made her stand.
Saying, "Will you be a bank-robber's wife
Or will you die by my penknife?"
"Yes, I shall be a bank-robber's wife
So I won't die by Your penknife!
"Oh, dear! oh,' dear! I wish my two- brothers were here!
High in the lea and the lonely-O.
"Oh, what did your two brothers do?"
On the burly, burly banks of Barbree-O.
"Oh, one is a mini'ter and the other like you."
On the burly, burly banks of Barbree-O.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, what have I done?
I've killed my sisters all but one."
Then he took out his penknife
And sadly ended his own life.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear' what have I done?"
High in the lea and the lonely-O.
"I've killed my sisters all but one!"
On the burly, burly banks o[ Barbree-O.
Then he took out his Penknife,
High in the lea and the lonely-O.
And sorry ended his own life,
On the burly, burly banks of Barbree-O.[1]
1. Last word spoken
_____________________
Burly Burly Banks of Barbry-O (Source Debra Cowen-- supposedly based on the version by Jonathon Moses, Orford, NH, but with a stanza added from Child F.)
There was three sisters picking flowers
High and a lee and aloney-O!
They scarce 'd but picked but one or two
On the Burly Burly Banks of Barbry-O
It's there they spied a bank robber bold
It's there they spied a bank robber bold
He took the oldest by the hand
He hurled her 'round he made her stand
Saying will you be a bank robber's wife
Or will you die by my penknife
No I shan't be a bank robber's wife
I'd rather die by your penknife
Then he took out his penknife
And there he ended her sweet life
He took the next one by her hand
He hurled her 'round he made her stand
Saying will you be a bank robber's wife
Or will you die by my penknife
No I shan't be a bank robber's wife
I'd rather die by your penknife
Then he took out his penknife
And there he ended her sweet life
He took the youngest by her hand
He hurled her 'round he made her stand
Saying will you be a bank robber's wife
Or will you die by my penknife
Yes I will be a bank robber's wife
So I shan't die by your penknife
Oh dear I wish my two brothers was here
You would not have killed my sisters dear
Oh what would your two brothers do
One was a minister, the other such as you.
‘What was your two brothers’ names?’
One was John, the other was James.’
Oh, what is this that I have done?
I have killed my sisters, all but one.
And now I’ll take out my penknife,
And here I’ll end my own sweet life.
________________
The Burly Burly Banks of Barbree-O Peggy Seeger (Long Harvest) from the singing of Jonathan Moses of Orford; New Hampshire, 1942. Note that Stanza 14 is irregular.
1 There were three sisters picking flowers,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
They scarce had picked but one or two
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
2. They'd scarcely picked but one or so,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
O, when they spied a bank-robber bold
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
3 He took the oldest by the hand,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
He 'hirled her around and he made her stand.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
4 Saying, Will you be a bank-robber's wife?
High in the lea and the lonely, O
Or will you die by my penknife?'
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
5 No, I won't be a bank-robber's wife
High in the lea and the lonely, O
I would rather die by your penknife.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
6 Then he took out his penknife,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
And sadly ended her sweet life.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
7 Then he took the next one by the hand,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
He 'hirled her round and made her stand.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
8 Saying, 'Will you be a bank-robber's wife?
High in the lea and the lonely, O
Or will you die by my penknife?'
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
9 No, I won't be a bank-robber's wife,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
I'd rather die by your penknife.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
10 Then he took out his wee penknife,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
And sadly ended her sweet life.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
11 He took the youngest by the hand,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
He 'hirled her round and made her stand.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
12 Saying, 'Will you be a bank-robber's wife?
High in the lea and the lonely, O
Or will you die by my penknife?'
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
13 Yes, I shall be a bank-robber's wife,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
So I won't die by your penknife.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
14 O dear, O dear! I wish my two brothers were here,
High in the lea and the lonely, O,
O, what did your two brothers do?
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O,
The one is a minister, the other like you,
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
15 O dear, O dear! What have I done?
High in the lea and the lonely, O
I've killed my sisters all but one.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.
16 Then he took out his penknife,
High in the lea and the lonely, O
And sorry ended his own life.
On the burly burly banks of Barbree-O.