Barbara Allen

• Main Author: Caudle, Eli, Mrs.
• Other Authors: Sullivan, Vera
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville 1960
• Subjects: a capella singing; Death; Love; Rejection (Psychology); Emotions; rejection; London; Death of a Lover; Grief; Greenland; Sullivan
• Online Access: http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/2625

voice Collected and Transcripted By Vera Sullivan For M. C. Parler Sung by Mrs. Eli Caudle Greenland, Arkansas Juns 19, 1960 Reel 390 Item 2 Barbara Allen London town where I was born There was a fair maid dwelling Made youth cry well away Her name was Barbara Allen. All in the merry month of May When green buds they were swelling Young Jim Grove on his death bed lay For the love of Barbara Allen. He sent his servants to the town The town that she did dwell in Say pretty maid come pity me For I'm on my death bed dying But slowly slowly she came up And slowly she came nigh him All she said as there she came Young man I think your dying. He turned his face unto her Straight with deadly sorrow sighing Oh pretty maid come pity me For I'm on my death bed dying. If on your death bed you do lie What needs the tale your telling I cannot keep you from your death Farewell said Barbara Allen. He turned his face unto the wall And death with him was dealing Adeiu adeiu my friend adeiu Adeiu to Barbara Allen. As she was walking over the field She heard the bells a nelling And ever stroke did seem to say Unworthy Barbara Allen.Barbara Allen (continued) She turned her body round about And spied the corpse a coming Lie down lie down the corpse That I might look upon him. The more she looked the more she grieved Oh mother oh mother make my bed make it wide and narrow Since my lover died for him today I'll die for him tomorrow. Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation.