T 'was early, early fall in the spring
And the green buds all were swelling
Sweet William on his desp 'ate lay
For the love of Barbary Ellen
And he sent his servant down to the town
To the place where she was dwelling
Saying you must come to my master deal
With your name, with your body
and so slowly, slowly then she got up
Slowly she come nigh him,
and the only words to him did say
Young man I see you're dying,
oh yes I'm sick and I'm very sick
Death is in me dwelling
But I shall very soon better be
Now I've got Bob Riham
Oh, you are sick and very sick
Death is in you dwelling,
and you shall never better be
For you'll never get Barbarian
Don't you remember down
in the Undertown
She was in the tavern drinkin'
Oh, you raised a toast to the girls all round
And you slighted Barbie Allen
Yes, I remember down in yonder town
She was in the tavern drinkin'
I gave a toast to the ladies all
And my heart to Bobbie Allen
And he turned his pale face to the wall
Death is in him welling
Farewell, farewell to my friends all
Be kind to Barbara
Oh, had not gone but half way home
She heard them death bells a -nellin'
And every note seemed to say
Hot -hearted Barbarian
And as she come down
through yonder town
She saw his coffin come in
Lay down, lay down his clay -cold corpse
Then I may look upon him
And the more she looked,
oh, the more she wept
She busted out a -crying,
saying
I could have saved his sweet little life
And it's all for the want of trying
Oh, mother, oh, mother,
go and make my bed
Go and make it long and narrow
Sweet William died for me today
I'll die for him tomorrow
And they buried sweet William
in the old churchyard
And Bobbery Allen and the choir
From sweet William's heart
they grew a rose
From Bobbery Allen's grew a green lion
And they grew and they grew
in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
And then they twined in a true lover's knot
The red rose and green cryin'
You