Otherwise known as “Barbara Allen” or “Barbary Allen” in differing versions of the song. The earliest known reference to it is in 1666. The version transcribed in the English Norton dates to 1740. Like most traditional ballads, the original author is lost to history, as is the date it was originally composed. It has, however, even to this day, been covered about a gazillion times. For instance, here’s Joan Baez folk-rocking the hell out, courtesy of PBS:
About The Comic
Lit Brick is a comic about literature by John S. Troutman. It updates Tuesday and Thursday. For now.Extra Stuff
Sharing Is Caring
Networking
RSS Feed · Comic-Rocket
Twitter · Tumblr · E-MailOther Fine Troutcave Comics
-
-
13 Comments
Tried to introduce someone to Lit Brick this morning. Found out that Pilgrim’s Progress is not the greatest stepping stone into your ouevre. :/
Ooh, do tell! What’d they hate most?
They didn’t hate it, but it features Sporkman, which helps if you know your other stuff; and it features Nicholle getting smacked in the face with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They had been trying to read Pilgrim’s Progress, so that’s why I tried there, but…yeah, wrong entry point.
Indeed. It’s slightly in-jokey, though I never wrote those characters differently than any other random LB cipher. He was just an actor in the part for funsies.
Paradise Lost sounds like a better entry for the future. I have converted others to the Lit Brick way, though.
PL is a GREAT entry point. It’s long, it stands alone, and it’s really rather good. Plus, it has the version of She-Jesus I’m drawing more or less permanently now!
We need a collective name for Lit Brick fans. Other than English Nerds, I mean. Bricks? Mortar?
I suggest a portmanteau of “in between” and “mortar” to suggest how we are all in between one great literally classic brick and the next. Regardless if we are reading one at the time.
We are the “Inmortars”.
Pronounced like “immortals” but with GratuitousEnglish that is common in various East Asian series.
(Is curious if her avatar still has fabulous hair to distract her)
*raises glass*
To Business!!
After seeing panel 3, I went back and mentally read Barbara’s lines in Moon Unit Zappa’s voice. I hope I’m not the only one.
there is another way to read them?
OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS ONE!!! Ballads are fun to sing and even more fun to write!
Ah Ba-ba-ba, Ba-Bar-bara Allen…