The People's Songbag

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30448, 23 May 1964, Page 5

The People's Songbag

Pepys’s Favourite

[Specially written for "The Press" by

DERRICK ROONEY]

“ILfY dear Mrs Knipp with -LVJL whom I sang, and in perfect pleasure I was to hear sing, and especially her little Scotch song of Barbary Allen. When Samuel Pepys made this entry in his diary on January 2, 1666, Barbara Allen was already part of British folk-lore. A century later, when Oliver Goldsmith wrote how “our dairy-maid sung me into tears with ‘Johnny Armstrong’s Last Good-night’ or ‘The Cruelty of Barbara Allen,’ “Barbara” and “Sweet William” had taken their place alongside Tristan and Iseult, Orpheus and Eurydice, among the great lovers of legend. Today, thanks to a beautiful record by the talented young American folk-singer, Joan Baez, she is probably more popular than ever. What is the secret of her appeal? Probably, as with “The Streets of Laredo,” the answer lies in the universality of theme and strength of melody. “Barbara Allen” is a relic of days before medical science rationalised broken hearts. It has survived bad sopranos, falsetto tenors and ragged school choirs and, unless there is a change in human nature, will probably live forever.

At least, her age does not yet show more than in 1790, when James Johnson wrote in “The Scots Musical Museum” (compiled with assistance from Robert Burns) that “this ballad is ancient. . . . It has been a favourite ballad at every country fire-side in Scotland, time out of memory. The strains of the ancient minstrel who- composed this song may, indeed, appear harsh and unpolished when compared with modern refinements; nevertheless he has depicted the incidents of his story with such a bold, glowing and masterly pencil, as would do credit to any age.” The text printed by Johnson, came from a 1724 publication, “Ramsay’s Miscellany.” . It differs only in minor details from modem texts, except for omitting the final stanza about the rose (from William’s heart) and the briar (from Barbara’s foot) twing into a lover’s knot. This is presumably a comparatively recent addition, possibly American, as similar stanzas occur in several songs selected in the Southern Appalachians by C. J. Sharp. The briar is a common symbol in folk-song for infidelity, and the rose for male purity.