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| A Church in Totnes - note the flowers in the wall - not roses, but one can imagine... - By User:Wigulf (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"IN Totnes town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry "Well-a-way,"
Her name was Barbara Allen.
All in the merry month of May,
When green buds they were swelling,
Young Johnny Gale on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barbara Allen.
He sent his groom unto her then,
Young Johnny Gale on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barbara Allen.
He sent his groom unto her then,
To the town where she was dwelling,
" You must come to my master dear,
If your name be Barbara Allen.
For death is printed on his face,
" You must come to my master dear,
If your name be Barbara Allen.
For death is printed on his face,
And o'er his heart is stealing :
Then haste away to comfort him,
Oh ! lovely Barbara Allen !"
Though death be printed on his face,
Then haste away to comfort him,
Oh ! lovely Barbara Allen !"
Though death be printed on his face,
And o'er his heart is stealing,
Yet little better shall he be,
For bonny Barbara Allen.
Yet little better shall he be,
For bonny Barbara Allen.
So slowly, slowly she came up,
And slowly she came nigh him,
And all she said, when up she came,
"Young man, I think you're dying."
He turned his face unto her straight,
And slowly she came nigh him,
And all she said, when up she came,
"Young man, I think you're dying."
He turned his face unto her straight,
With deadly sorrow sighing,
" Oh ! lovely maid, come pity me,
I'm on my death-bed lying."
" Oh ! lovely maid, come pity me,
I'm on my death-bed lying."
" If on your death-bed you do lie,
What needs the fate you're telling :
I cannot keep you from your death.
Farewell !" said Barbara Allen.
He turned his face unto the wall,
And deadly pangs he fell in,
"Adieu, adieu, adieu to all !
Adieu to Barbara Allen !"
As she was walking o'er the fields,
"Adieu, adieu, adieu to all !
Adieu to Barbara Allen !"
As she was walking o'er the fields,
She heard the bell a-knelling,
And every stroke did seem to say,
" Unworthy Barbara Allen."
She turned her body round about,
And every stroke did seem to say,
" Unworthy Barbara Allen."
She turned her body round about,
And 'spied the corpse a-coming,
" Lay down, lay down, the corpse," she said,
" That I may look upon him."
With scornful eye, she looked down,
" Lay down, lay down, the corpse," she said,
" That I may look upon him."
With scornful eye, she looked down,
Her cheeks with laughter swelling,
Whilst all his friends cried out " For shame,
Whilst all his friends cried out " For shame,
Unworthy Barbara Allen !"
When he was dead and in his grave,
When he was dead and in his grave,
Her heart was struck with sorrow,
" Oh, mother ! mother ! make my bed,
For I shall die to-morrow.
" Hard-hearted creature him to slight,
" Oh, mother ! mother ! make my bed,
For I shall die to-morrow.
" Hard-hearted creature him to slight,
Who loved me so dearly ;
Oh ! that I'd been more kind to him,
When he was alive and near me."
She, on her death-bed as she lay,
Oh ! that I'd been more kind to him,
When he was alive and near me."
She, on her death-bed as she lay,
Begged to be buried by him,
And sore repented of the day,
That she did e'er deny him.
"Farewell," she said, "ye virgins all,
And sore repented of the day,
That she did e'er deny him.
"Farewell," she said, "ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in,
Henceforth take warning by the fall,
Of cruel Barbara Allen."
Henceforth take warning by the fall,
Of cruel Barbara Allen."
Sung by John Snow, of Tiverton, at a supper party, A.D. 1869.
Hewett 1900
Map - Totnes
Map - Tiverton
[This song contains the line " Oh, mother ! mother ! make my bed, / For I shall die to-morrow." which is very similar to a version of a song about Yarrow I know ("Oh mother dear make me my bed/ make it both long and narrow/ for he who died for me today/ I shall die for him tomorrow") - folk songs are not bothered by copyright, simply by what is best! This song is well known - type it into the EFDSS catalog and you will get 34 results, though of course the town varies massively! A good version is found here.]
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