BARBARA ALLEN
(Loraine Wyman / Howard Brockway)
The Everly Brothers 


All in the merry month of May
When the green buds they were swelling,
William Green on his death-bed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.

He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwelling
Saying "Love, there is a call for you 
If your name is Barbara Allen."

She was very slowly getting up
And very slowly going, 
The only words she said to him
Were "Young man I think you're dying."

"Don't you remember the other day
When you were in town a-drinking,
You drank a health to the ladies all around
And slighted Barbara Allen?"

"O yes, I remember the other day
When I was in town a-drinking,
I drank a health to the ladies all around,
But my love to Barbara Allen."

He turned his pale face to the wall
And death was in him dwelling;
"Adieu, adieu, to my friends all,
Be kind to Barbara Allen."

When she got in two miles of town
She heard the death bells ringing:
They rang so clear, as if to say 
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen!"

So she looked east and she looked west
And saw the cold corpse coming,
She says "Come round you nice young man
And let me look upon you."

The more she looked the more she grieved
Until she burst out crying
"Perhaps I could have saved that young man's life
Who now is here a-lying."

"O Mother, O Mother, come make my bed
O make it both soft and narrow,
For sweet William died to-day 
And I will die to-morrow."

"O Father, O Father, come dig my grave
O dig it deep and narrow,
For sweet William died in love
And I will die in sorrow."

Sweet William was buried in the old church tomb,
Barbara Allen was buried in the yard;
Out of William's heart grew a red rose,
Out of Barbara Allen's grew a brier.

They grew and grew to the old church tower
And they could not grow any higher;
And at the end tied a true lover's knot
And the rose wrapped around the brier. 


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BARBARA ALLEN
Traditional


In scarlet Town where I was born 
There was a fair maid dwelling 
Made many a youth cry well a day 
Her name was Barbara Allen 

It was in the merry month of May 
When green buds they were swelling 
Sweet William came from the west country 
And he courted Barbara Allen 

He sent his servant unto her 
To the place where she was dwelling 
Said my master's sick, bids me call for you 
If your name be Barbara Allen 

Well, slowly, slowly got she up 
And slowly went she nigh him 
But all she said as she passed his bed 
Young man I think you're dying 

Then lightly tripped she down the stairs 
She heard those church bells tolling 
And each bell seemed to say as it tolled 
Hard hearted Barbara Allen 

O, mother, mother go make my bed 
And make it long and narrow 
Sweet William died for me today 
I'll die for him tomorrow 

They buried Barbara in the old church yard 
They buried Sweet William beside her 
Out of his grave grew a red, red rose 
And out of hers a briar 

They grew and grew up the old church wall 
Till they could grow no higher 
And at the top twined a lover's knot 
The red rose and the briar