Author Topic: Add: Barbara Allen

dmcg

 Posted - 27 Feb 03 - 12:51 pm
Barbara Allen

In Scotland I was born and bred,
O, there is was my dwelling;
I courted there a pretty maid,
O, her name was Barbara Allen.

I courted her in summer time,
I courted her in winter;
For six long years I courted her,
A-thinking for to win her.

. . . . . . . . . .





Source: Kidson F, 1891, Traditional Tunes, A Collection of Ballad Airs, Oxford, Taphouse and Son


Notes:

Form Frank Kidson's notes:

... The second version is from the Northallerton district, and varies from the usual words. I take the air of this to be of an early date, and when sweetly sung is excellent.


There are two other versions listed, together with references to two other tunes "commonly printed". I will add the other versions shortly.

Database entry is here.

Edited By dmcg - 27/02/2003 12:56:05




dmcg

 Posted - 27 Feb 03 - 01:29 pm
Barbara Allen (3)

In Reading town, there I was born,
In Scotland was my dwelling;
O, there I courted a pretty fair maid -
Her name was Barbara Allen.

I courted her for months and years,
Thinking that I should gain her;
And I oft times vowed and did declare
No other man should have her.

I sent a man to yonder town,
To ask for Barbara Allen.
Saying "You must come to my master's house,
If your name be Barbara Allen."

So slowly she put on her clothes,
So slowly she came to him;
And when she got to his bedside,
"Young man," she said, "You're dying."

. . . . . . . . . .

If you look under my pillow
You'll find a napkin lying,
And it is soaked with my heart's blood,
For the love of Barbara Allen.

He put his hand right out of bed,
Thinking to draw her nigh him;
But she whipped her heels and away she ran,
Straightway from him she flew.

So he turned his face unto the wall,
And death came slowly to him;
"Adieu, adieu to all my frends,
Farewell to Barbara Allen."

As she was walking across yon fields
She heard his death-bell tolling
And every toll it seemed to say -
Hard-hearted Barbara Allen.

. . . . . . . . . .

"O dear mother, make my bed,
And make it fit to die on;
There's a young man died for me to-day
And I'll die for him to-morrow."

. . . . . . . . . .

And he did die on one good day,
And she did die on the morrow;
O, he did die for the love of her,
And she did die for sorrow.

Database entry for Kidson's version 3 is here.




dmcg

 Posted - 27 Feb 03 - 02:15 pm
Barbara Allen (1)

In Reading town, where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwelling,
MAde every youth cry, "Well-a-day!"
Her name was Barbara Allen.


Source: Kidson F, 1891, Traditional Tunes, A Collection of Ballad Airs, Oxford, Taphouse and Son


Notes:

Frank Kidson notes:

The first version here following, noted down from Mr Holgate, is from the singing of an English girl in Ghent, some forty years ago, and this version, with a different termination, is heard in the the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Database Entry for Kidson's version 1 is here.




Malcolm Douglas
 Posted - 27 Feb 03 - 03:36 pm
See also Barbry Ellen (from "Queen" Caroline Hughes), which I posted last month and forgot to add to the database.


dmcg

 Posted - 27 Feb 03 - 03:56 pm
My apologies as well. I thought I had seen it before and looked in the database, then searched for 'Barbara' and, separately for 'Allen'. Just our luck that both these search terms differ for this version!




Malcolm Douglas
 Posted - 27 Feb 03 - 04:37 pm
Given the widepread popularity of the song in tradition, we probably ought to have several versions in any case.


sallydee

(guest)
 Posted - 05 Mar 10 - 09:12 am
Hi
I learnt a version of this song at school many years ago and only remember snatches. It started "In Scarlet(?) town where I was born, there was a young maid dwelling: made every lad cry well-a-day.: her name was Barbra Allen."
I am pretty sure that the man who fell in love was "Lord (or sir) John Graham of the West Country." Some of the rest of it I recognise, with slight differences. The tune was different, too. As you say, there must be loads of versions.


songlvr

(guest)
 Posted - 14 Mar 12 - 08:11 pm
Hi
I learnt a version of this song at school many years ago and only remember snatches. It started "In Scarlet(?) town where I was born, there was a young maid dwelling: made every lad cry well-a-day.: her name was Barbra Allen."
I am pretty sure that the man who fell in love was "Lord (or sir) John Graham of the West Country." Some of the rest of it I recognise, with slight differences. The tune was different, too. As you say, there must be loads of versions.



it was william and this is what i remember:

in scarlett town where i was born
there was a young maid dwelling
made every youth cry well a day
her name was barbry allen

skipped a bit, sorry

they grew and grew o'er the old church wall
till they could grow no higher
and then they tied, a lovers knot
the red rose and the briar




Jon Freeman

 Posted - 14 Mar 12 - 08:36 pm
I learned it from a Spinners record. That version was similar to this one in the dt from The Burl Ives Song Book although I don't remember the Spinners having verses 6 and 7.

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