Barbary Ellen Songtext
von Martin Carthy

All in the third part of the year
When green leaves they were falling,
Young Johnny Rose, all down from the war,
Fell in love with Barbary Ellen.

He sent his men down to the town
To the place where she was dwelling,
Saying, "Lady, come quick and come very quick
If your name be Barbary Ellen."

So slowly, slowly she rose up,
So slowly she put on her,
So slowly come to his bedside
And so slowly she looked upon him.

"You′re lying low, young man," she cries,
"And death is with you dealing.
No the better for me you never shall be
Though your heart's blood were spilling."


"Oh look at my bedhead," he cries,
"And there you′ll find it ticking:
My gold watch and my gold chain,
I bestow them to you, my Ellen."

"Oh look at my bed foot," he cries,
"And there you will find them lying:
Bloody sheets and bloody shirts,
I swept them for you, my Ellen."

"Tell me, do you mind the time, " she cries,
"All in the tavern swilling?
You made the health of all round the place
But never for your love Ellen."

She walked over yon garden field,
She heard the dead bell knelling.
And every stroke that the dead bell gave
It cried, "Woe be to you now, Ellen."

She walked over yon garden field,
She saw his corpse a-coming,
"Lay down, lay down, your weary load
Until I get to look upon him."


She lifted the lid from off the corpse,
She bursted out with laughing.
And all of his friends that stood round about,
They cried, "Woe be to you now, Ellen."

She come home to her father's house,
"Make my bed long and narrow,
For young Johnny Rose died for me today
And I must die tomorrow."

They buried her all in the churchyard,
They buried him in the choir.
And out of him there grew a red rose
And out of her a briar.

They grew and they grew all in the churchyard
Till they could grow no higher.
They twisted and twined themselves in a knot
As the rose growed all round the briar.