Nine English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachian Mountains - 9 English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachian Mountains: No. 7, Barbara Ellen (Arr. for Voice & String Quartet by Roderick Williams) (Voice and string quartet)

O down in London where I was raised,

Down where I got my learning,

I fell in love with a pretty little girl;

Her name was Barb’ry Ellen.

He courted her for sev’n long years;

She said she would not have him.

Pretty William went home and took down sick

And sent for Barb’ry Ellen.

He wrote her a letter on his death-bed;

He wrote it slow and moving.

‘Go take this to my pretty little love,

And tell her I am dying.’

They took it to his pretty little love;

She read it slow and mourning.

‘Go take this to my pretty little love,

And tell him I am coming.’

As she walked on to his bedside, says:

‘Young man, young man, you’re dying.’

He turned his pale face towards the wall

And bursted out a-crying.

He reached his lily-white hand to her.

‘O come and tell me “howdy”.’

‘O no, O no, O no,’ says she,

And she would not go about him.

As she walked out the very next day

She saw his corpse a-coming.

‘O lay him down, O lay him down

And let me look upon him.’

The more she looked, the worse she felt,

Till she bursted out a-crying:

‘I once could have saved pretty William’s life,

But I would not go about him.’

As she walked down that shady grove

She heard some birds a-singing,

And ev’ry bird it seemed to say:

‘Hard-hearted Barb’ry Ellen,

Hard-hearted Barb’ry Ellen.’

As she walked down those long stair-steps,

She heard some death-bells ringing,

And ev’ry bell it seemed to say:

‘Hard-hearted Barb’ry Ellen,

Hard-hearted Barb’ry Ellen.’