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Barbry Ellen by Jean Ritchie


        Barbry Ellen 



Tuning:E A D G B E
Key:F
Capo:no capo

[Verse 1]
           F              Bb
All in the merry month of May
                    F         Gm
When the green buds they were swellin'
      Bb      F            Bb        Gm
Young William Green on his death bed lay
        Bb      Gm     F
For the love of Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 2]
            F              Bb
He sent his servant to the town
                    F       Gm
To the place where she was dwellin'
         Bb      F            Bb      Gm
Saying "Master's sick and he send for you,
        Bb      Gm     F
If your name be Barbry Ellen."
 
[Verse 3]
            F             Bb
So slowly, slowly she got up
            F          Gm
And slowly she came a' nigh him
     Bb     F         Bb       Gm
And all she said when she got there
      Bb       Gm          F
Young man I believe you're dyin'
 
[Verse 4]
           F              Bb
Oh yes I'm low, I'm very low
             F      Gm
And death is on me dwellin'
   Bb         F        Bb         Gm
No better, no better I never will be
      Bb       Gm     F
If I can't get Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 5]
            F              Bb
Oh yes you're low, and very low
             F       Gm
And death is on you dwellin'
   Bb         F             Bb    Gm
No better, no better you'll never be
        Bb        Gm     F
For you can't get Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 6]
                F          Bb
For don't you remember in yonder stand
          F        Gm
In yonder stand a' drinkin'
    Bb          F            Bb        Gm
You passed your glass all around and around
        Bb       Gm     F
And you slighted Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 7]
            F                Bb
Oh yes I remember in yonder stand
          F       Gm
In yonder stand a drinkin'
  Bb       F             Bb          Gm
I gave my health to the ladies all around
    Bb      Gm     F
But not to Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 8]
              F                Bb
He turned his pale face to the wall
              F      Gm
For death was on him dwellin'
   Bb     F            Bb        Gm
Adieu, adieu, you good neighbors all
   Bb       Gm     F
Adieu sweet Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 9]
            F                Bb
As she was goin' across the fields
                F              Gm
She heard those death bells a' knellin'
    Bb     F          Bb        Gm
And ev'ry stroke the death bell give
      Bb     Gm     F
Hard-hearted Barbry Ellen
 
[Verse 10]
              F                  Bb
Oh Mother, oh Mother, go make my bed
           F             Gm
Go make it both long and narrow
      Bb        F        Bb   Gm
Young William's died for me today
         Bb      Gm     F
And I'll die for him tomorrow
 
[Verse 11]
           F                            Bb
Oh she was buried 'neath the old church tower
           F          Gm
And he was buried all nigh her
    Bb         F            Bb        Gm
And out of his bosom grew a red, red rose
        Bb      Gm     F
Out of Barbry's grew a green briar
 
[Verse 12]
               F                          Bb
They grew and they grew up the old church tower
           F             Gm
Until they could grow no higher
      Bb        F         Bb           Gm
They locked in tight in a true lover's not
     Bb    Gm        F
Red rose around the green briar




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