Child #84 Mentioned 1666
In Scotland I was born and bred
In London I was dwelling;
I fell in love wi' a nice young girl,
And her name was Barbara Allen, Allen,
And her name was Barbara Allen.
I courted her for seven long years,
Till I could court no longer;
I grew sick and very, very ill,
I sent for my own true lover, lover,
I sent for my own true lover.
Slowly she put on her clothes
And slowly she came walking,
And when she came to my bedside
She said, "Young man, you're dying, dying."
She said, "Young man, you're dying."
"Dying my love, that cannot be,
One kiss from you would cure me."
"One kiss from me that never shall be
While your hard heart is breaking, breaking,
While your hard heart is breaking."
"Look ye up to my bedside,
You will see my watch a-hanging;
Here's my gold ring and my gold chain
I give to Barbara Allen, Allen,
I give to Barbara Allen.
Look ye down to my bedside
You will see a bowl a-standing
In it is the tears I've shed
For the sake of Barbara Allen, Allen,
For the sake of Barbara Allen."
She had na gone a mile or two
She heard the church bells tolling,
And every toll it seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen, Allen,
Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."
As she was walking up the groves
And met his corpse a-coming,
"Stay, stay," said she, "and stop awhile
That I may gaze all on you, on you,
That I may gaze all on you"
The more she gazed, the more she smiled
Till she burst out a-laughing;
And her parents cried out, "Fie, for shame,
Hard-hearted Barbara Allen, Allen,
Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."
"Come mother, come make up my bed
Make it long and narrow;
My true love died for me today
I'll die for him tomorrow, morrow,
I'll die for him tomorrow."
And he was buried in Edmondstone
And she was buried in Cold Harbour;
And out of him sprang roses red
And out of her sweet-brier, brier,
And out of her sweet-brier, brier,
The roses grew so very high
Till it could grow no higher;
And around the top growed a true lover's knot
And around it twined sweet-brier, brier,
And around it twined sweet-brier.
Performer(s) Thorvald Grimsson