{"id":12904,"date":"2021-09-16T15:40:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T15:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=12904"},"modified":"2024-03-16T08:51:38","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T08:51:38","slug":"barbara-allan-the-cruel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/barbara-allan-the-cruel\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbara Allan The Cruel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Barbara Allen<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1854<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Horatio Lloyd<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN54<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>JL Toole, Horatio Lloyd, Sam Cowell<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Too many (of the various versions) to list here see Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https:\/\/archives.vwml.org\/search\/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]\/0_50\/all\/score_desc\/extended-roudNo_tr%3A54<\/a>
Modern Performances<\/strong>
See Mainly Norfolk<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From a Poets Box (Glasgow) broadside<\/a> published in 1855 (University of Glasgow)\n\nBarbara Allan the Cruel<\/strong>\n\nThis comic version of Barbara Allan, as sang by Messrs Lloyd, Cowell, etc, is now drawing crowded audiences at all the different theatres and concerts in the kingdom.\n\nIn Reading town a lad was born,\nAnd a fair maid there was dwelling; \nSo he picked her out to be his bride, \nAnd her name was Barbara Allan,\nAnd her name was Barbara Allan.\n\n'Twas in the merry month of May, \nWhen green leaves they were springing,\nA young man on a sick bed lay\nFor the love of of Barbara Allan, \nFor the love of of Barbara Allan\n\nHe sent to her his servant man,\nTo the place where she was dwelling; \nNow quickly to my master come,\nIf thy name be Barbara Allan, \nIf thy name be Barbara Allan, \n\nSo slowly, so slowly, she walked unto \nThe bedside where he was lying\nAnd when she looked into his face, \nSays she, Young man. you're dying, \nSays she, Young man. you're dying,\n\nI see death painted in thy face \nAll joy is gone quite from thee \nI cannot save thee from the grave, \nSo farewell, my dearest Johnny \nSo farewell, my dearest Johnny.\n\nWhen she was gone he gave a grunt, \nIn expression of his sorrow\nIn his will left Barbara all his blunt, \nAnd then he died to-morrow,\nAnd then he died to-morrow.\n\nAs she was a-walking down the street,\nShe met his corpse a-coming;\nNow set 'un down, my little brave boys\nAnd let I gaze upon him, \nAnd let I gaze upon him.\n\nThe more she look'd, the more she laugh'd. \nThe further she got from him,\nTill all her friends, cried out for shame,\nCruel-hearted Barbara Allan\nCruel-hearted Barbara Allan\n\nNo wonder that the lady laughed\nTo see her true love fallen ; \nOf course she got another spark, \nThis cruel Barbara Allan, \nThis cruel Barbara Allan.\n\nThey buried him in the church porch, \nWhen she died laid her beside 'un, \nFor she, wished to be his bride in death, \nThough in life she couldn't abide 'un, \nThough in life she couldn't abide 'un.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Steve Roud in his New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs <\/em>suggests that Barbara Allan <\/em>is  the most widely collected traditional songs in the English language and goes back to around 1666.  It was certainly well-known in the 19th century: it appeared in published collections of English ballads and was widely sung in respectable Ballad Concerts like the ones run by the publishers Boosey between 1867 and 1933.  These polite versions of the old songs did meet with criticism and I can’t resist sharing this particularly robust comment regarding a performance organised by the London Glee and Madrigal Union<\/em> in 1860:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Jan. 29, 1860 <\/strong>The Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Many of these older songs were performed as burlesques by comic singers in the mid 19th century  – their history has been written about extensively by  Steve Gardham. One of the better-known burlesques was Barbara Allan the cruel<\/em>, famously sung by Sam Cowell<\/a>, JL Toole and other performers in the song and supper rooms and early music halls of the 1860s. These comics regularly performed burlesques of serious ballads, drawing humour from the way they performed them and by modifying the content. The lyrics reproduced above are taken from a Scottish broadside, I had always assumed that the Lloyd referred to was the famous Arthur Lloyd but it turns out it was his father\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The earliest reference I can find to this version occurs in 1854, in review of newly published sheet music. Unfortunately I can’t find any evidence that this sheet music has  survived – but if you know different, do get in touch!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Mar. 31, 1854; <\/strong>Glasgow Herald<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Facts and fancies <\/em>was a  “Drawing Room Vaudeville” produced, written by and starring comic actor Horatio Lloyd which toured the major cities of Scotland in the late 1850s. Also appearing in the production,  which consisted of a series of loosely linked sketches and songs, were Horatio’s sons Fred and Arthur Lloyd<\/a>. The poster advertising the production indicates that Horatio sang his version of Barbara Allan<\/em> as the character Hodge Heathblossom (Hodge was often a name used to indicate a rural person of less than average intelligence).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n