John Barleycorn lyrics

Artist  : Steve Winwood 
Song : John Barleycorn
 
There were three men came out of the west, their
fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John barleycorn must die
They’ve plowed, they’ve sown, they’ve harrowed
him in
Threw clods upon his head
And these three men made a solemn vow
John barleycorn was dead

They’ve let him lie for a very long time, ’til
the rains from heaven did fall
And little sir john sprung up his head and so
amazed them all
They’ve let him stand ’til midsummer’s day ’til
he looked both pale and wan
And little sir john’s grown a long long beard and
so become a man
They’ve hired men with their scythes so sharp to
cut him off at the knee
They’ve rolled him and tied him by the way,
serving him most barbarously
They’ve hired men with their sharp pitchforks
who’ve pricked him to the heart
And the loader he has served him worse than that
For he’s bound him to the cart

They’ve wheeled him around and around a field
’til they came onto a pond
And there they made a solemn oath on poor john
barleycorn
They’ve hired men with their crabtree sticks to
cut him skin from bone
And the miller he has served him worse than that
For he’s ground him between two stones

And little sir john and the nut brown bowl and
his brandy in the glass
And little sir john and the nut brown bowl 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 or pots
without a little barleycorn