Barbara Allen
Language: English
In Scarlet Town, where I was born, There was a fair maid dwellin', Made ev'ry youth cry "Well-a-day!" Her name was Barb'ra Allen. All in the merry month of May When green buds they were swellin', Young Jemmy Grove on his death-bed lay For love of Barb'ra Allen. Then slowly, slowly she came up, And slowly she came nigh him, And all she said when there she came "Young man, I think you're dying". As she was walking o'er the fields She heard the dead-bell knellin', And ev'ry stroke the dead-bell gave Cried "Woe to Barb'ra Allen!" When he was dead and laid in grave Her heart was struck with sorrow. "O mother, mother, make my bed, For I shall die tomorrow." "Farewell," she said, "ye virgins all, And shun the fault I fell in; Henceforth take warning by the fall Of cruel Barb'ra Allen."
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953), "Barbara Allen", published 1921 [ voice and piano ], from Three songs from old English popular songs, no. 2, from The Arnold Book of Old Songs, no. 13 [sung text checked 1 time]
Set in a modified version by Jake Heggie.
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 145