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The Cruelty of Barbary Allen Lyrics by Meg Baird

Dear Companion

2007

It was in the merry month of May
The green buds were swellin'
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For the love of Barbry Ellen
He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwellin'
"The Master's sick and he send for you
If your name be Barbry Allen."
So slow-ly, slow-ly she got up
And slow-ly she came a' nigh him
And all she said when she got there
"Young man I believe you're dyin'."
Oh yes I'm low, I'm very low
And death is on me dwellin'
No better, no better I never will be
If I can't have Barbry Allen
Oh yes you're low, and very low
And death is on you dwellin'
No better, no better you'll never be
For you can't get Barbry Allen
For don't you remember in yonder stand
In yonder stand a' drinkin'
You passed your glass all round and round
But not to Barbry Ellen
Oh yes I remember in yonder stand
In yonder stand a drinkin'
I drained my health to the ladies all around
And I slighted Barbry Allen
He turned his pale face to the wall
For death was on him dwellin'
Adieu, adieu, you good neighbors all
Adieu sweet Barbry Allen
As she was goin' across the fields
The death bells were a' knellin'
And ev'ry stroke the death bell gave
Hard-hearted Barbry Allen
Oh Mother, oh Mother, make my bed
Go make it both long and narrow
Sweet Willy's died for me today
And I'll die for him tomorrow
Oh he was buried in the old church yard
And she was buried all nigh him
And out of his bosom grew a red, red rose
And out of hers a briar
They grew and they grew up the old church tower
Till they could grow no higher
They locked in tight in a true lover's knot
Red rose right 'round the briar
Credits
Meg Baird

Meg Baird

About “The Cruelty of Barbary Allen” by Meg Baird

Read the complete lyrics to "The Cruelty of Barbary Allen" by Meg Baird from the album "Dear Companion" in 2007. 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 Rock, Folk.

"The Cruelty of Barbary Allen" is performed by Meg Baird. from the album "Dear Companion" in 2007 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 "The Cruelty of Barbary Allen", explore more songs by Meg Baird 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

"The Cruelty of Barbary Allen" is credited to Meg Baird. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Cruelty of Barbary Allen" appears on "Dear Companion" in 2007.

Visit the Meg Baird artist page at /artist/meg-baird for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.