There's a scene in A Love ...
Question: There's a scene in A Love Song for Bobby Long in which Bobby (John Travolta) sings a song to his friends about Barbara Allen. Do you know what song it is, and whether it was written for the movie or it really is an old folk song?
Answer: It's a traditional Scottish folk ballad called "Barbara Allen," and it's so old that references to it have been found as far back as the 17th century, when the diarist Samuel Pepys alluded to it in his journals. In America it's associated with the Ozark Mountain region and exists — like all folk songs — in many variations. It's also been recorded repeatedly, notably by Joan Baez.