Barbara Allen

“Barbara Allen” is among the oldest and most enduring folk ballads in the English language. First published in the 1600s and carried to America by early settlers, it survived for centuries through oral tradition – passed down, adapted, and reimagined across regions and generations. The story is simple but haunting: a young man falls ill for love of Barbara Allen, who rejects him too late, only to die of remorse herself. Its themes of pride, love, and regret have made it one of the most collected traditional songs in both the British Isles and the United States. Versions of “Barbara Allen” have been sung by artists from Jean Ritchie, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger to Dolly Parton and Simon & Garfunkel, each carrying a fragment of its long, wandering history. This performance follows that lineage – plain, unadorned, and faithful to the spirit of a song that has never really disappeared. #BarbaraAllen #FolkSong #TraditionalBallad #JasonPaul #AmericanFolk

“Barbara Allen” is among the oldest and most enduring folk ballads in the English language. First published in the 1600s and carried to America by early settlers, it survived for centuries through oral tradition – passed down, adapted, and reimagined across regions and generations. The story is simple but haunting: a young man falls ill for love of Barbara Allen, who rejects him too late, only to die of remorse herself. Its themes of pride, love, and regret have made it one of the most collected traditional songs in both the British Isles and the United States. Versions of “Barbara Allen” have been sung by artists from Jean Ritchie, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger to Dolly Parton and Simon & Garfunkel, each carrying a fragment of its long, wandering history. This performance follows that lineage – plain, unadorned, and faithful to the spirit of a song that has never really disappeared. #BarbaraAllen #FolkSong #TraditionalBallad #JasonPaul #AmericanFolk