JOHN BARLEYCORN

there were three men come out of the west, their fortunes for to try
and these three men made a solemn vow John Barleycorn should die
they ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in, throwed 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 till the rain from heaven did fall
then little Sir John sprung up his head and so amazed them all
they let him lie till midsummer till he looked both pale and wan
then little Sir John he grew a long beard and so became a man

they hired men with a scythe so sharp to cut him off at the knee
they rolled him, tied him around the waist, served him most barbarously
they hired men with the sharp pitchforks to cut him to the heart
but the miller he served him worse than that for he's bound him to a cart

they wheeled him round and around the field till they came unto a barn
and there they made a solemn oath for John Barleycorn
they hired men with the crabtree sticks to cut him skin from bone
and the miller he served him worse than that, he's ground him between two stones

here's little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl and brandy in the glass
and little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl, the strongest man at last
for the huntsman he can't hunt the fox nor loudly blow his horn
and the tinker he can't mend kettles or pots without a little Barleycorn

put your wine into glasses
put your cider into old tin cans
put Barleycorn in the nut-brown bowl
for he proves the strongest man

there were three men come out of the west, their fortunes for to try