Barbara Allen
Doris Day & Les Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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.
The traditional folk ballad "Barbara Allen" is a story of tragic love and regret. In the song, William Green is on his deathbed, dying from the love he has for Barbara Allen. He sends his servant to fetch her, requesting her presence before he passes away. When Barbara arrives, she is cold and distant towards William, reminding him of how he once slighted her. After William dies, Barbara is filled with remorse and grief, realizing that she may have been able to save his life if she had only shown him more kindness. She dies the next day, and the two are buried in different locations, with a rose growing from William's grave and a brier from Barbara's. The rose and brier grow together and form a knot, symbolizing their love.
The song is a classic example of a traditional ballad and has been performed and recorded by countless artists throughout the years. Its origins are unclear, but it is believed to have originated in Scotland or England in the 17th century. The song has been adapted and reworked in various forms, including multiple plays and operas. Despite its age, the song remains a popular and beloved classic in both folk and popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
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.
In May, as the flowers were blooming, William Green fell severely ill due to his love for 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."
William sent his servant to ask Barbara to come see him if her 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."
Barbara slowly went to see William and only told him that he looked like he was 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?"
William drank and toasted to other women in town, insulting Barbara Allen in the process.
"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."
William acknowledges that he toasted to other women while drinking, but his true love was for 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."
William knew he was dying and said goodbye to his friends, asking them to 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!"
Barbara heard church bells ringing and felt that they were accusing her of being heartless towards William's death.
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."
Barbara watched William's body being brought back to town and asked to see him one last time.
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."
Barbara became more upset the longer she looked at William's body, thinking that maybe she could have saved his life.
"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."
Barbara asks her mother to make her deathbed soft and narrow since William died today and she will die tomorrow.
"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."
Barbara asks her father to dig her grave deep and narrow because William died in love and she 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.
William was buried in the church graveyard while Barbara was buried in a nearby yard. A rose grew from William's heart and a brier from Barbara's.
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.
The rose and brier grew up to the old church tower, entwining around each other to form a true lover's knot.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind