Celtic Lyrics Corner > Artists & Groups > Domhnaill Family > Mairéad Ní Dhomhnaill > Barbara Allen

Barbara Allen     Credits: n/a     Appears On: Mairéad Ní Dhomhnaill     Language: English

Lyrics:

Christmas comes but once a year
And the green leaves, they are fallen
Young Edmund on his pillow lay
For love of Barbara Allen

He sent his servants out one day
To the place where she was dwelling
My master wants one word with you
If your name be Barbara Allen

One word from me he never will get
Nor any young man breathing
One word from me he never will get
If his heart was fairly breaking

"Rise up, rise up," her father did say
"Rise up and go and see him"
Oh father, oh father, do you mind the day
When you were going to shoot him?

"Rise up, rise up," her mother did say
"Rise up and go and see him"
Oh mother, oh mother, do you mind the day
When you told me for to shun him?

So slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she puts on her
And slowly to his bedside
Saying, "Young man, you are dying"

I'm lying low and very, very ill
And the grave shall be my dwelling
One kiss from you would cure me now
My bonny Barbara Allen

One kiss from me you never will get
Nor any young man breathing
One kiss from me you never will get
If your heart was fairly breaking

Look up, look up at my bed head
And there you will see it lying
A golden basin full of tears
Being shed for Barbara Allen

Look up, look up at my bed head
And there you will see it hanging
My gold watch and my silver chain
Bestow to Barbara Allen

He turned his pale face to the wall
And death came to him creeping
Farewell, farewell to my friends all
And be kind to Barbara Allen

Oh she looked east and she looked west
And she heard the small birds singing
They sang so sweet and seemed to say
Hard-hearted Barbara Allen

As she went on the highway home
She spied his corpse a-coming
Lay down, lay down that corpse in clay
That I may look upon him

As she went up her father's lane
She heard the death bells knelling
And every jolt that death bell gave
It was woe to Barbara Allen

Oh mother, oh mother, go dig my grave
Go dig it long and narrow
My young man died for me today
And for him I'll die tomorrow

One was buried in St. Mary's churchyard
The other in St. Peter's
Out of her grave there grew a red rose
And out of his a briar

They grew high, so very, very high
'Til they could go no higher
They met at the top in a true lover's knot
And it's there they'll remain forever