“The Barber Song”

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1945 (Harlow)
Keywords: jealousy humorous homicide suicide poison love
Found in: US

Description

A young barber is admired in general and in particular by a maid named Matilda. A butcher is jealous and goes to the barber shop where they fight and the butcher is killed. Matilda commits suicide; the barber goes crazy and eventually poisons himself.

Notes

Harlow gives the source of this as the Vineyard Gazette (first published in 1846), but gives no date or issue. - SL

References

  1. Harlow, pp. 196-197, "The Barber Song" (1 text)
  2. Roud #9158
  3. BI, Harl196
The Traditional Ballad Index is copyright ©2008 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. The Digital Tradition is copyright The Mudcat Cafe.