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Barbara Allen
Composer: Traditional

Barbara Allen was performed twice by the Grateful Dead, on both occasions with Joan Baez, on the 12th and 30th December 1981.

First recorded mention of this traditional song is in Pepys Diary. On 2nd January 1666 he records hearing an actress singing the song.

Collected in Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs and Heroic Ballads of 1776 as Bonny Barbara Allan. Also mentioned in Ramsey's Tea Table Miscellany. It was collected by Francis Child as is recorded as Child's Ballad number 84.

Barbara Allen is usually the most commonly occurring song in ballad collections. For example, The Traditional Tunes Of The Child Ballads, Vol II by B. H. Bronson lists 198 variations of the song, collected in England, Scotland and many areas of the US.

Title variations include Barbara Ellen, Barbara Allyn, Bonny Barbara Allen, Barbarous Ellen and Sweet William..



Recordings

This list is not intended to be comprehensive

no info Single (Barbara Allen / Why Ain't I Happy At All), Vernon Dalhart / Dalhart And Robison, 1927
no info Single (The Mississippi Flood / Barbara Allen), Vernon Dalhart, 1927
no info Single (Barbara Allen / The Three Drowned Sisters), Al Craver, 1927
no info Single (Barbara Allen / Pearl Bryan), Tobe Little, 1927
no info Single (My Blue Ridge Mountain Home / Barbara Allen), Dalhart & Robison / Vernon Dalhart, 1927
no info Single (Butcher's Boy / Barbara Allen), Frank Luther & Carson Robison, 1928
no info Single (Barbara Allen / The Blind Girl), Bradley Kincaid, 1930
no info Single (A-Walkin' The Streets Of Laredo / Barbara Allen), Newton Gaines, 1930
no info American Folk Songs, Frank Luther, Zora Layman and Leonard Stokes, 1938?
no info Old World Ballads In America, Andrew Rowan Summers, 1940
no info Single (Molly Malone / Barbara Allen), Maxine Sullivan, 1940
no info Single (Broomstreet / Barbara Allen), Les Brown And His Orchestra, 1940
no info Single (The Gypsy Davy / Barbara Allen), Woody Guthrie / Rebecca Tarwater, 1942
info Folk Songs of the Hills, Merle Travis, 1947
no info Folk Songs and Ballads, Susan Reed, 1947
info Early American Folk Songs, Bob Atcher, 1949
no info American Folk Songs, Jo Stafford, 1950
no info The Lady Gay, Andrew Rowan Summers, 1954
info Women: Folk Songs About the Fair Sex, Burl Ives, 1954
no info Josh White Sings, Volume 2, Josh White, 1954
no info Wanderin' With Eddy Arnold, 1955
no info Anglo American Ballads, Rebecca Tarwater, 1956
no info The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume II, Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd, 1956
no info A Ballad Singer's Choice, Ed McCurdy, 1956
no info Spoken Literature of Early English Ballads - Read by Kathleen Danson Read, Kathleen Danson Read, 1956
no info Smoky Mountain Ballads, Harry And Jeanie West, 1956
no info Lark in the Morning, Various Artists (Thomas Baynes), 1956
info American Ballads, Pete Seeger, 1957
no info Susan Reed, Susan Reed, 1957
info Back Home, Merle Travis, 1957
no info Richard Dyer-Bennet, Vol. 5, Richard Dyer-Bennet, 1958
info Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, Everly Brothers, 1958
no info Single, Cecil Surratt and Smitty Smith, 1959
info Old Timey Songs for Children, New Lost City Ramblers, 1959
no info Field Trip-England, Various Artists (Mr Rew), 1959
no info Blood On The Saddle, Tex Ritter, 1959
no info Hawkshaw Hawkins, Hawkshaw Hawkins, 1959
no info Sweet England, Shirley Collins, 1959
info Gather 'Round, Tennessee Ernie Ford, 1959
no info Great Folk Ballads, Mac Wiseman, 1959
no info Single (Barbara Allen / What Can I Do To Please You), Marijohn Wilkin, 1959
no info The Jupiter Book of Ballads, Various Artists (Osian Ellis), 1959
no info Old Style Texas and Oklahoma Fiddling, Tony Thomas, 195?
info British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1, Jean Ritchie, 1960
no info Blood on the Saddle, Tex Ritter, 1960
no info British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1, Jean Ritchie, 1960
no info American Folk Song Festival: Jean Thomas, The Traipsin' Woman, Jean Thomas, 1960
no info The Ballads Of John Jacob Niles, 1960
no info Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads: Some Ballads from the Gavin Greig Collection, Robin Hall, 1960
no info As I Roved Out, Field Trip-Ireland), Various Artists (Sarah Makem), 1960
no info Mountain Music of Kentucky, Various Artists (J. B. Cornett), 1960
info Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition, Jean Ritchie, 1961
info Joan Baez, Vol. 2, Joan Baez, 1961
no info Joan Baez EP, Joan Baez, 1961 (UK)
no info Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Vol. 1: Child Ballads, Lucy Stewart, 1961
no info Four Sussex Singers, George Spicer / George Maynard / Jean Hopkins / Jim Wilson, 1961
no info The Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 4. The Child Ballads, Various Artists (Jessie Stewart), 1961
no info The Eyes of Love, Osborne Smith, 1961
info Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, 1962
no info Folk Songs, The Wilburn Brothers, 1962
no info Single (John Henry / Barbara Allen), Dave Dudley, 1962
info Bluegrass Goes to College, Hylo Brown, 1962
no info The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume 3 / 4, Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd, 1962
info Folk Songs of the Everly Brothers, Everly Brothers, 1962
no info Jupiter Book of Ballads, The: Spoken and Sung by Isla Cameron, Jill Balcon, Pauline Letts, John Laurie, etc., Various Artitst, 1962
no info Jim and Art Sing and Play a Folk Song, Jim Helms and Art Podell, 1962
no info Scottish Ballad Book, Jean Redpath, 1962
no info Six Days On the Road, Dave Dudley, 1963
info Way Out West With, Alex Campbell, 1963
no info The Spinners, The Spinners, 1963
no info Mother Maybelle Carter And Her Autoharp, Mother Maybelle Carter, 1963
no info The Great New Sound Of The Crew-Cuts, 1963
no info Folksongs of Saskatchewan, Various Artists (Molly Galbraith), 1963
no info Folk Songs of the Alleghenies, Various Artists (Patrick Gainer), 1963
no info The World of Pete Seeger, Pete Seeger, 1963
no info 28th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. Galax, Virginia 1963, Various Artists (Thurman Pugh), 1963
info In Touch With..., Peter & Gordon, 1964
no info Single, Albert Parsley and Landon Messer, 1964
no info Mountain Ballads and Old Time Songs, Bradley Kincaid, 1964
no info The Best Of Moore & Napier, 1964
info American Folk Singers And Balladeers, Various Artists (Joan Baez), 1964
info High Lonesome Sound, Roscoe Holcomb, 1965
info Just Plain Folk, Various Artists (Pete Seeger), 1965
no info The Manchester Angel, Ewan MacColl, 1966
info God Bless the Grass, Pete Seeger, 1966
no info Ballads Blues And Birds, Cy Grant, 1966
no info Old Times and Hard Times, Hedy West, 1967
no info The Power of the True Love Knot, Shirley Collins, 1967
no info Last Day In The Mines, Dave Dudley, 1967
no info Shamrocks And Leprechauns, Willie Brady, 1967
no info All Jolly Fellows, George Belton, 1967
no info Long Harvest: Traditional Ballads, English, Scots and Irish, Ewan McColl, 1967
no info Sara Makem, Ulster Ballad Singer, Sara Makem, 1968
no info Ballads and Songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains: Persistence and Change, Various Artists , Granny Porter and Wade Ward), 1968
no info Eighty English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Bin Henson, 1968
no info Keep On, Bruce Channel, 1968
no info Phil Tanner, Phil Tanner, 1968
no info Packie Byrne, Packie Byrne, 1969
no info Explores Guitar Country, Jerry Reed, 1969
no info The World Of Noel Harrison, 1969
no info Old Traditions, Bill and Jean Davis, 196?
no info Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 4. The Child Ballads, Various Artists (Thomas Moran, Phil Tanner, Fred Jordan, Mary Bennwell), 196?
no info The Crew Cuts Sing Folk, The Crew Cuts, 196?
no info The Hillmen, The Hillmen, 1970
no info Guitar Music And Songs Of Merrie Olde England, Charles Byrd, 1970
info Sounds of the Smokies, Bill Davis and his Singing Dulcimer, 1971
no info End of an Era, Everly Brothers, 1971
info The Joan Baez Ballad Book, Joan Baez, 1972
no info Tom Rush, Tom Rush, 1972
no info Charlie Wills, Charlie Wills, 1972
no info Single (I'm Leaving Detroit / Barbara Allen), Charlie Moore, 1972
no info Sings Good Bluegrass, Charlie Moore, 1972
no info World Of Pete Seeger, 1973
info Angel Clare, Art Garfunkel, 1973
info Country Bluegrass from Southwest Virginia, Glen Neaves and the Virginia Mountain Boys, 1974
no info When the Frost Is on the Pumpkin, Fred Jordan, 1974
no info A Garland for Sam, Sam Larner, 1974
no info Flash Company, Bob Hart / Percy Webb / Ernest Austin, 1974
no info High Noon, Tex Ritter, 1974
no info Mellow with Ale from the Horn, John Roberts and Tony Barrand, 1975
no info The Arkansaw Traveller Folk Theatre, Arkansaw Travellers, 1975
no info Songs of the Open Road: Gypsies, Travellers & Country Singers, Various Artists (Phoebe Smith), 1975
no info Folk Ballads from Donegal and Derry, Various Artists (Charlie Somers), 1975
no info Adirondack Woods Singer, Ted Ashlaw, 1976
no info Bonaparte's Retreat, Mother Maybelle Carter, 1976
no info George Tucker, George Tucker, 1976
no info Red Wing, I. D. Stamper, 1977
info The Songbook, Joan Baez, 1977
no info The Everly Brothers' Greatest Hits, Volume 3, Everly Brothers, 1977
no info Kingdom, Dando Shaft, 1977
no info Round Rye Bay for More: Traditional Songs from the Sussex Coast, Johnny Doughty, 1977
info Golden Hour Presents, Volume 2, Joan Baez, 1977
no info Granny Riddle's Songs and Ballads, Almeda Riddle, 1977
no info Old Time Banjo in America, Buell Kazee, 1978
no info Cold Snap, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, 1978
info 20th Anniversary Concert, The New Lost City Ramblers, 1978
no info Sheath and Knife, Gordeanna McCulloch, 1978
no info Bend In The River, The McPeak Brothers, 1978
no info Down The Road, Dave Dudley, 1978
no info 16 Greatest Hits, Hawkshaw Hawkins, 1978
no info Hits The Road To Songland, Joe Loss, 1978
no info Virginia Traditions: Ballads from British Tradition, Various Artists (Dan Tate), 1978
no info Satisfied Mind, Joan Baez, 1979
no info Golden Classics, Mac Wiseman, 1979
no info Sentimental Journey, Les Brown And His Orchestra with Doris Day, 1979
no info Tranquility, Mary O'Hara, 1979
no info Devon Tradition: An Anthology from Traditional Singers, Various Artists (George Roberts), 1979
no info Travellers: Songs, Stories and Tunes from English Gypsies, Various Artists (Debbie and Pennie Davies), 1979
no info Songs of the Smokey Mountains, Bill Owens and the Kinfolk.(197?
no info Smokey Mountain Ballads, Harry and JeanieWest, 197?
no info Hand-Me-Down Music: Old Songs, Old Friends - Vol. 2, Traditional Music of Union County, North Carolina, Various Artists (Seena Helms), 1980
no info God Bless the Grass, Pete Seeger, 1982
no info Make the Wildwoods Ring, MacArthur Family , 1982
no info Will Ye Go to Flanders? - Folksongs of the British Isles, James Griffet, 1982
no info Sailing into Walpole's Marsh, Sean Corcoran, 1983
no info Songbird, Suzie Adams and Helen Watson, 1983
no info Clearwater Classics, Pete Seeger, 1984
no info Bradley Kincaid, Volume 1, Bradley Kincaid, 1984
no info Castles In The Air, Barley Bree, 1985
info O Love Is Teasin' (Anglo-American Mountain Balladry), Various Artists (Susan Reed), 1985
no info Mountain Songs, Robert Beaser w/ Enrique Granados, 1986
no info Mountain Songs: A Cycle Of American Folk Music, Eliot Fisk / Paula Robison, 1986
no info 24 Greatest Hits, Mac Wiseman, 1987
no info Watching the White Wheat, The King's Singers, 1987
no info Selected Jigs Reels and Songs, De Danann, 1988
no info The Rose in June, Louis Killen, 1989
no info I Never Played to Many Posh Dances, Scan Tester, 1990
info Blues, Songs and Ballads, Tom Rush, 1990
no info Stories from Mountains, Swamps and Honky-Tonks, Brownie Ford, 1990
no info Signs and Wonders, Ginny Hawker and Kay Justice, 1990
no info Classic Country Music, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Bradley Kincaid), 1990
no info Diamonds: Best of the Vanguard Years, Joan Baez, 1991
no info 200 Years Of American Heritage In Song, Various Artists (Tommy Faile?), 1991
info Classic Everly Brothers, Everly Brothers, 1992
no info High Noon (Box), Tex Ritter, 1992
info Common Chord, David Grisman / Daniel Kobialka, 1993
no info Celtic Spirit, Anderson and Meis, 1994
no info Heartsongs: Live from Home, Dolly Parton, 1994
no info Both Sides/Then and Now, Betty Smith, 1994
no info 36 All-Time Favorites, Everly Brothers, 1994
no info Chords and Thyme: English Folk Songs, Edward Flower, 1994
info All Kinds of Folks: Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Tom Rush), 1994
no info Folk Images, Paul Lansky, 1995
no info Folk Songs Of The Hills, Expanded Version), Merle Travis, 1996
no info Singin Is Ma Life, Jane Turriff, 1996
no info Love, Lust & Loss: English, Scottish & Irish Folksongs, Hilary James, 1996
no info Ancient Celtic Roots, Various Artists (Sara Makem), 1996
no info Six Days On the Road, Dave Dudley, 1996
no info Travel the Lake District, Bill Garden, 1996
info Mountain Music of Kentucky (CD), Various Artists (J.D. Cornett), 1996
no info Guitar Christmas, William Holly, 1996
no info Three Ravens, Alfred Deller, 1996
no info The Lark in the Morning, Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Family and Friends, 1996
no info Mountain Music of Kentucky (expanded), Various Artists (J.D. Cornett), 1996
no info Sheath and Knife (expanded), Gordeanna McCulloch, 1997
no info When I Grow Too Old To Dream, John McDermott, 1997
info The Rose Grew Round the Briar, Vol. 1: Early American Rural Love Songs, Various Artists (Bradley Kincaid), 1997
no info Straight Outta Boone Country, Various Artists (The Handsome Family), 1997
no info Brothers in Rhythm, Everly Brothers, 1998
no info The Yellow Handkerchief, Phoebe Smith, 1998
no info A Broadside, Bob Hart, 1998
no info Duos East West, George Haslam, 1998
no info It Fell on a Day, a Bonny Summer Day, Various Artists (Sarah Makem), 1998
info Oh, The Wind and Rain, Jody Stecher, 1999
no info Signs of Life, Martin Carthy, 1999
no info Best Of The Big Bands, Doris Day, 19??
no info Granny Riddle's Songs and Ballads, Almeda Riddle, 19??
no info Love Is Teasing: Scottish and English Early Ballads, Shanna Beth McGee, 19??
no info Café Continental, Welcome and Marta, 19??
no info Single, Bluegrass Gentlemen, 19??
no info Bright Shiny Morning, Norma Waterson, 2000
no info The Road from Connemara, Joe Heaney, 2000
no info The Garden of Love, Frankie Armstrong, 2000
no info Sharp and Sweet, Sangsters, 2000
no info I've Come to Sing a Song: Cornish Family Songs, Vic Legg, 2000
no info Band of Gold, Wiggy Smith and other Smith Family members, 2000
info Prairie Bluegrass, Bray Brothers & Red Cravens, 2000
info The Complete Cadence Recordings: 1957-1960, The Everly Brothers, 2001
info Ballad Legacy: The Alan Lomax Portait Series, Texas Gladden, 2001
no info Autoharp Concerto, David Johnson/Marsha Jones, 2001
no info Unearthed, Nic Jones, 2001
no info Rosa Mundi, June Tabor, 2001
no info An Honest Working Man, Roy Clinging, 2001
no info Just Another Saturday Night: Sussex 1960: Songs from Country Pubs, Various Artists (Jim Wilson), 2001
info Songcatcher, Various Artists (2 versions), 2001
info Classic Mountain Songs, Various Artists (Jean Ritchie), 2002
info I'm on My Journey Home, Various Artists (N. "Nick" Marlor), 2002
info 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered: Complete Recordings 1951-1964, Mac Wiseman, 2003
no info The Gower Nightingale, Phil Tanner, 2003
no info Sharp Practice: Rarities and Renovations from the English Tradition, Mary Humphreys and Anahata, 2003
no info A Shropshire Lad, Fred Jordan, 2003
no info Last Of The Troubadours: Saddle Songs II, Don Edwards, 2003
info Buried Land: A Collection of Folk Song and Poetry, Jim Clark, 2003
no info From Puck to Appleby: Songs of Irish Travellers in England, Various Artists (Andy Cash), 2003
no info Song Links: A Celebration of English Traditional Songs and Their Australian Variants, Various Artists (Martin Carthy), 2003
info Beginner's Guide to Folk Music, Various Artists (Shirley Collins), 2003
no info ForeignLander, Lydia McCauley, 2004
no info The Hardy Sons of Dan, Various Artists (Patsy Flynn), 2004
info The Best of King & Starday Bluegrass, Various Artists (Moore & Napier), 2004
info The Rose and the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in American Ballads, Various Artists (Jean Richie), 2004
no info Folk Festival: A Celebration of Music Recorded at the Sidmouth International Festival, Various Artists (Roy Harris), 2004
no info Tide of Change, Tom & Barbara Brown, 2005
no info Of Many Hands, Steve Tilston, 2005
no info A Long Way from Home, Sara Grey, 2005
no info Demon Lovers, The Devil's Interval, 2005
no info Eight Days Late: English Music For Mandolin, Matt Norman, 2005
info Live at the Gaslight 1962, Bob Dylan, 2005
no info 1951 Edinburgh People's Festival Ceilidh, Various Artists (Jessie Murray), 2005
no info Strands of Gold, Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, 2006
no info Poor Old Horse, Pete Castle, 2006
no info Jim Moray, Jim Moray, 2006
no info It Was on a Market Day - Two: English Traditional Folk Singers, Various Artists (Frank Hinchcliffe), 2006
info Stories, Misty River, 2007
no info Down By the Old Riverside, The Brazil Family, 2007
info Dear Companion, Meg Baird, 2007
no info Summer's Lonesome Tale, Kate Burke & Ruth Hazleton, 2007
no info The Folk Handbook: Working with Songs from the English Tradition, Various Artists (Vic Legg), 2007
info Classic Bluegrass Collection, Vols. 1-4, Various Artists (Moore and Napier), 2007
no info Songbooks, Paul & Liz Davenport, 2008
no info I Want To Go Where Things Are Beautiful, Nimrod Workman, 2008
no info Colin Meloy Sings Live!, Colin Meloy, 2008
info Songs from the Invisible Republic, Various Artists (Josh White), 2008
no info How Sweet the Sound, Joan Baez, 2009
no info Journey To The New World, Sharon Isbin, 2009
no info SIngle (Mary Connaught & James O'Donnell / Barbara Allen / I Went To Visit The Roses), James Yorkston & The Big Eyes Family Players, 2009
no info Live At The Paradiso, Grayson Capps, 2009
no info Many a Good Horseman: Traditional Music Making from Mid-Suffolk, Various Artists (Emma Briggs), 2009
no info A Beginner's Guide, Jim Moray, 2010
no info Gaither Carlton, Gaither Carlton, 2010
no info Too Long in This Condition, Alasdair Roberts, 2010
no info Purpose+Grace, Martin Simpson, 2011
no info Autumn Sky, Blackmore's Night, 2011
no info A Country Life: Songs and Stories of a Shropshire Man, Bill Smith, 2011
no info This Ragged World We Spanned, Jefferson Hamer, 2011
no info Ballads And Songs From The Appalachians, Hedy West, 2011
no info Peter & Gordon (1964) / In Touch With Peter & Gordon/Hurtin' 'N' Lovin'/ Peter & Gordon (1966), Peter & Gordon, 2012
no info The Heart Is True, Sarah Makem, 2012
no info Over the High Hills, Shepheard, Spiers & Watson, 2012
no info Be Still, Dave Douglas Quintet, 2012
no info A Baker's Dozen, Mary Humphreys and Anahata, 2012
no info Playlist: The Very Best Of Pete Seeger, 2012
no info The First Lady Of Folk: 1958-1961, Joan Baez, 2012
no info The Singer, Art Garfunkel, 2012
no info Good People, Take Warning: Ballads sung by British and Irish Traditional Singers, Various Artists (Elizabeth Cronin), 2012
no info I'm a Romany Rai: Songs by Southern English Gypsy Traditional Singers, Various Artists (Charlie Scamp), 2012
no info Sharp's Appalachian Harvest, Brian Peters and Jeff Davis, 2013
no info Foreverly, Billie Joe + Norah, 2013
no info DD|50: Special Edition, Dave Douglas, 2013
no info The Liberty to Choose: A Selection of Songs from The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, Various Artists (James Findlay), 2013
no info Cruising Round Yarmouth, Sam Larner, 2014
no info Sheep-Crook and Black Dog, Caroline Hughes, 2014
no info Old Fashioned Songs, Cecilia Costello, 2014
no info Live In Ireland, Judy Collins, 2014
no info Virginia Traditions: Ballads from British Tradition, Various Artists (Dan Tate), 2015
info My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean: British Songs in the USA, Various Artists (2 versions), 2015
no info Wild Hog, The Furrow Collective, 2016
no info Three Classic Albums Plus, Joan Baez, 2016
no info Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition, Various Artists (Rosanne Cash), 2017
no info The Summer Draws Near, Lisa Knapp, 2018
no info The Smithsonian Folkways Collection, Pete Seeger, 2019
no info From Here: English Folk Field Recordings Volume 2, Various Artists (Mary Humphreys and Anahata), 2019
no info The Ledger: Traditional Scottish Folk Songs, Findlay Napier & Gillian Frame with Mike Vass, 2020
no info Isolation Sessions: The Songs, Alex Cumming, 2020
no info Ballads Vol 1, Iona Fyfe, 2020
info The Book Of The Dawg: Dawg Roots, David Grisman, 2021
no info Colin Meloy Sings Together, Colin Meloy, 2022

 
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