Released: August 30, 2005
Songwriter: Traditional
Producer: Jeff Rosen Steve Berkowitz
'Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swelling
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 dwelling
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 welling
Goodbye, goodbye, to my friends all
Be good to Barbara Allen
When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells knelling
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
When green buds all were swelling
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 dwelling
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 welling
Goodbye, goodbye, to my friends all
Be good to Barbara Allen
When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells knelling
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
more tracks from the album
From the album
- Live at the Gaslight 1962 (2005)
Bob Dylan popular songs
- Murder Most Foul
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- The Times They Are A-Changin’
- All Along the Watchtower
- Like a Rolling Stone
- Make You Feel My Love
- Hurricane
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- Mr. Tambourine Man
- A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
- Subterranean Homesick Blues
- Desolation Row
- Tangled Up in Blue
- Masters of War
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
- It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
- Girl from the North Country
- Tempest
- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
- Ballad of a Thin Man
- Visions of Johanna
- I Contain Multitudes
- To Fall in Love with You
- Shelter from the Storm