Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a folk song with roots in England, existing also in the American folk tradition. Its pentatonic melodic structure is one of the characteristic aspects of songs in both traditions, and I arranged it in a minimalist style with an acoustic guitar providing the arpeggiated chord progression, something quite common for folk songs in both traditions. I also kept to the quirk of pronouncing "Barbara" as "Barbary" as we can find in many renditions of the song.
English lyrics:
'Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swellin'
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For love of Barbara Allen
He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwellin'
Saying, "You must come to my master, dear
If your name be Barbara Allen"
So slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she drew nigh him
And the only words to him did say
"Young man, I think you're dying"
He turned his face unto the wall
And death was in him wellin'
"Goodbye, goodbye to my friends all
Be good to Barbara Allen"
When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells knellin'
And every stroke to her did say
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen"
"Oh, mother, oh, mother, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow
Sweet William died of love for me
And I will die of sorrow"
"And father, oh, father, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow
Sweet William died on yesterday
And I will die tomorrow"
Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard
Sweet William was buried beside her
Out of sweet William's heart there grew a rose
Out of Barbara Allen's, a briar
They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
At the end they formed a true lover's knot
And the rose grew 'round the briar
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a folk song with roots in England, existing also in the American folk tradition. Its pentatonic melodic structure is one of the characteristic aspects of songs in both traditions, and I arranged it in a minimalist style with an acoustic guitar providing the arpeggiated chord progression, something quite common for folk songs in both traditions. I also kept to the quirk of pronouncing "Barbara" as "Barbary" as we can find in many renditions of the song.
English lyrics:
'Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swellin'
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For love of Barbara Allen
He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwellin'
Saying, "You must come to my master, dear
If your name be Barbara Allen"
So slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she drew nigh him
And the only words to him did say
"Young man, I think you're dying"
He turned his face unto the wall
And death was in him wellin'
"Goodbye, goodbye to my friends all
Be good to Barbara Allen"
When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells knellin'
And every stroke to her did say
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen"
"Oh, mother, oh, mother, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow
Sweet William died of love for me
And I will die of sorrow"
"And father, oh, father, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow
Sweet William died on yesterday
And I will die tomorrow"
Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard
Sweet William was buried beside her
Out of sweet William's heart there grew a rose
Out of Barbara Allen's, a briar
They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
At the end they formed a true lover's knot
And the rose grew 'round the briar
