barbara allen

Lyrics

it was in the merry month of may, when the green buds were swelling, a young man on his death bed lay, for love of barbara allen, he sent his servant to the town, sent him to her dwelling, my master's sick and he sends for you, if you are barbara allen, so slowly, slowly she got up, slowly she would nigh him, and all she said when she got there was, "my true love you're dying", he turned his face unto the wall, death was in him dwelling, adieu, adieu to my sweet friends all, be kind to barbara allen, when he was dead and laid in grave, she heard the death bells knelling, and every stroke to her did say, hard hearted barbara allen, as she walked down the road to home, she saw his hearse a-comin', "oh, lay him down on the cold, cold ground, that i may gaze upon him", oh mother, mother, make my bed, make it soft and narrow, for my true love has died today, i'll die for him tomorrow, they buried her by the old church tower, in there lay beside her, and from her grave grew red, red rose, and from his grave grew brier, they grew to the top of the old church tower, till they could grow no higher, and there they tied in a true love's knot, the red, red rose and the brier