Barbara Allen
Billie Joe Lyrics
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When flowers were a-bloomin'
Sweet Willie on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen
He sent his servant to the town
The town where she did dwell in
Saying "Master dear has sent me here
Then slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she went to him
And all she said when she got there
"Young man, I think you're dying"
"Oh don't you remember the other day
When we were in the tavern?
You drank your health to the ladies there
And you slighted Barbara Allen"
He turned his face unto the wall
He turned his back upon her
"So long, farewell to all my friends
Be kind to Barbara Allen"
She looked to the east, she looked to the west
She saw his corpse a-comin'
"Oh sit him down for me" she cried
"That I may gaze upon him"
The more she looked the more she grieved
She bursted out a-cryin'
Sayin' "Pick me up and carry me home
For I feel like I am dyin'"
They buried Willie in the old churchyard
And Barbara in the new one
From Willie's grave there grew a rose
From Barbara's a green briar
They grew and grew to the old church wall
And could not grow no higher
And there they died in a true love-knot
The rosebush and the briar
The song Barbara Allen is a traditional Scottish ballad dating back to the 17th century. The song tells the tragic story of Sweet Willie, who lay on his deathbed due to his unrequited love for Barbara Allen. He sends a servant to fetch her, hoping to see her one last time before he dies. Barbara Allen slowly makes her way to his deathbed, and upon seeing him, she accuses him of previously slighting her. However, it is too late for them to reconcile, and Willie dies with his last words being a request for his friends to be kind to Barbara.
After his death, Barbara is overwhelmed with sadness and grief, begging to be carried home because she feels as though she is dying. The two are buried in separate graveyards, but a rose bush grows from Willie's grave and a briar from Barbara's. The two plants eventually grow and entwine themselves together in a true love-knot, representing the unbreakable love between Willie and Barbara. The melancholic tune and the vivid imagery of the rose and briar growing together form the basis of the song's iconic popularity.
Line by Line Meaning
T'was in the merry month of May
When flowers were a-bloomin'
Sweet Willie on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen
During the month of May, when the flowers were blooming, the love of Barbara Allen, Sweet Willie, was on his deathbed.
He sent his servant to the town
The town where she did dwell in
Saying "Master dear has sent me here
If your name be Barbara Allen"
He sent his servant to Barbara Allen's town, giving the message that his master is dying and wants to see her.
Then slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she went to him
And all she said when she got there
"Young man, I think you're dying"
Barbara Allen slowly went to Sweet Willie, and said to him that she thinks he is dying.
"Oh don't you remember the other day
When we were in the tavern?
You drank your health to the ladies there
And you slighted Barbara Allen"
Sweet Willie had slighted Barbara when he drank and toasted to the other ladies in the tavern.
He turned his face unto the wall
He turned his back upon her
"So long, farewell to all my friends
Be kind to Barbara Allen"
Sweet Willie turned his face and back towards the wall, saying his last goodbye to his friends and asking them to be kind to Barbara Allen.
She looked to the east, she looked to the west
She saw his corpse a-comin'
"Oh sit him down for me" she cried
"That I may gaze upon him"
Barbara Allen looked east and west and saw Sweet Willie's corpse coming. She asked to sit him down so that she could gaze upon him.
The more she looked the more she grieved
She bursted out a-cryin'
Sayin' "Pick me up and carry me home
For I feel like I am dyin'"
As Barbara Allen looked at Sweet Willie's corpse, she became more and more upset, bursting out into tears and asking to be carried home, feeling like she is dying.
They buried Willie in the old churchyard
And Barbara in the new one
From Willie's grave there grew a rose
From Barbara's a green briar
Sweet Willie was buried in the old churchyard while Barbara was buried in the new one. A rose grew from Willie's grave while a green briar grew from Barbara's.
They grew and grew to the old church wall
And could not grow no higher
And there they died in a true love-knot
The rosebush and the briar
The rosebush and the briar grew towards the old church wall, but could not grow any higher. There, they died, entwined together, a symbol of true love.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind