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Barbara Allen Lyrics by Jo Stafford

American Folk Songs

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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
Credits
Jo Stafford

Jo Stafford

About “Barbara Allen” by Jo Stafford

Read the complete lyrics to "Barbara Allen" by Jo Stafford from the album "American Folk Songs". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Orchestral, Folk.

"Barbara Allen" is performed by Jo Stafford. from the album "American Folk Songs" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Barbara Allen", explore more songs by Jo Stafford using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Barbara Allen" is credited to Jo Stafford. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Barbara Allen" appears on "American Folk Songs".

Visit the Jo Stafford artist page at /artist/jo-stafford for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.