John Barleycorn

John Barleycorn
(Traditional)
Arrangement by Ian Corrigan

There was three men come out of the west
Their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn must die

They plowed and sowed and they harrowed him in
Threw clods upon his head
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn was dead

They let him lie for a very long time
Til the rains from heaven did fall
And little Sir John, he sprang up his head
And so amazed them all

They let him stand til the midsummer's day
Til he looked both pale and wane
And barleycorn's grown a long, long beard
And so become a man

They hired men with the scyths so sharp
To cut him off at the knee
They rolled him and tied him around the waist
Servin' him most barbarously

They hired men with the hard pitchfork
To pierce him through the heart
And the loader he has served him far worse than that
For he's bound him to a cart

They wheeled him round and around the field
Til they came unto a barn
And these three men made a solemn oath
On poor John Barleycorn

They hired men with the holly club
To flay him skin from bone
And the miller he has served him far worse than that
For he's ground him between two stones

Oh oh Barleycorn is the sweetest grain
That ever was sown by man
Um um it will do more than any grain
Just by the tippin' of your hand

It will turn a boy into a man
And a man into an ass
Your gold to silver it will change
And your silver into brass

Will put the priest to sleep at night
Raise the nobleman in the morn
Will bring the soldier to the stocks
Where all men may do him scorn

It will put sack into a glass
And claret in the cask
And it will cause a man to drink
Til he can neither go nor stand

Oo, oo little Sir John and the nut brown bowl
And the brandy in the glass
Little Sir John and the nut brown bowl
Have proved the strongest man at last

The huntsman he can't hunt the fox
Nor so loudly to blow his horn
And the tinker he can't mend kettle nor bowl
Without a little barleycorn.