Barbara Allen

This item is part of the W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection, which includes some 400 individual song titles, most of which have multiple variants. Dr. Abrams recorded songs primarily from the Appalachian region of North Carolina from 1938 to 1946 and transcribed them in 1973. Like the I. G. Greer Collection, the titles contained in Abrams’ collection range from traditional Child Ballads to 19th century popular music to compositions of local origin.

Folk music--Appalachian Region

Ballads, English--Appalachian Region, Southern

Ballads, Irish

Ballads, Scots

Lovesickness--Songs and music

Death--Songs and music

Barbara Ellen, Barbary Ellen, Barb'ry Allum, Barbara Hellen, Barb'ra Allyn, Barbra Allen, Barbery Allan, Barbara Allan, Bawbee Allan, Bob'ry Allen, Barbary Allen, Lady and Her Children Three, Sweet William, Barb're Allen, Barbra Ellen, Barbery Ellen, Barbro Allen, Barb'ra Allen, Barbry Allen, Barbare Allen, Barbry Ellen, Barbru Allan, Barba Allen, Barbaree Allen, Barba Allan, Bonny Barbara Allen, Bonnie Barbara Allen, Barby Ellen, The Love of Barbara Ellen, Little Johnnie Green

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

1913

Abrams, W. Amos (William Amos), 1904-1991

JPEG

Song texts

English

Text

1910s

Bonny Barbara Allan, Variant 9

Lila Ripley Barnwell. Mary A. Mahon [Ripley]. Great Grandmother

While Lila Ripley Barnwell was from Hendersonville, Henderson County, North Carolina, her mother Mary A. Mahon [Ripley] was born in Ireland and apparently lived for a time in Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina. As this text was originally part of a letter to the editor published in the Charlotte Observer newspaper, it is reproduced here with permission.

Charlotte Observer [newspaper]

Child 84, Brown Older Ballads - Mostly British - 27(A), Randolph 21, Cox 16, Combs 24, Warner 40, Warner 187, Sharp 24