Who wrote the song Barbara Allen?

Roger Quilter
Barbara Allen/Composers

Where did the song Barbara Allen originated?

“Barbara Allan” is a traditional ballad that originated in Scotland. The first written reference to it occurred in 1666 in The Diary of Samuel Pepys, where Pepys praises it after watching a stage performance sung by an actress.

Who sang the song Barbara Allen?

Joan Baez
Barbara Allen/Artists

Is Barbara Allen a folk song?

“Barbara Allen” (Child 84, Roud 54) is a traditional folk song once popular throughout the English speaking world. The song began as a Scottish ballad in the seventeenth century or earlier, before quickly spreading (both orally and in print) throughout the British Isles and later North America.

How many recordings of Barbara Allen are there?

According to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, approximately 500 traditional recordings of the song have been made.

What’s the story behind the song Barbara Allen?

The ballad generally follows a standard plot, although narrative details vary between versions. A servant asks Barbara Allen to attend on his sick master. She visits the bedside of the heartbroken young man, who pleads for her love.

When did Barbara Allen’s cruelty first come out?

One 1690 broadside of the song was published in London under the title “Barbara Allen’s cruelty: or, the young-man’s tragedy. With Barbara Allen’s [l]amentation for her unkindness to her lover, and her self”. Additional printings were common in Britain throughout the eighteenth century. The ballad was first printed in the United States in 1836.

Who is Barbara Allen in the Diary of Samuel Pepys?

” Barbara Allen ” ( Child 84, Roud 54) is a traditional folk song once popular throughout the English speaking world. It tells how the eponymous character denies a dying man’s love then dies of grief soon after his untimely death.