John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?

Subject: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: folkvix
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 07:26 PM

Hi,

I'm an American student trying to track down the roots of folk songs that have crossed over between the US and the UK: for instance, Farmers' Boy and John Barleycorn. Is anyone aware of places where these songs are still sung in the UK, say as part of traditional events? Thanks in advance!

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 07:31 PM

Wherever you find the Wilson family!
Ned.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Mar 08 - 08:05 PM

AND the Coppers !

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 04:12 AM

Both are sung extensively across folk clubs and festivals in the uk. An excellent article about the origin of John Barleycorn appeared in The Folk Music Journal of the English Folk Song and Dance Society some time in the last 6 years.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 04:15 AM

http://fmj.efdss.org/contents/fmj/volume_8/contents_4.htm

http://fmj.efdss.org/contents/fmj/volume_8/contents_4.htm

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 04:22 AM

Farmer's Boy is one of the songs regularly sung in the local pubs pubs in the prelude to the Haxey Hood Game.

Wiki on Haxey

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: IanC
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 04:50 AM

Hi

I usually sing John Barleycorn at the village church's Harvest Supper. This is pretty traditional in England.

The Farmer's Boy is a song that most labourers in England knew in my father's generation (he used to sing it, and I learned it off him). They just sang it out and about, though it did come up in the pub occasionally. I sing it now and again in the local pub. Most people from the previous generation know it well still.

:-)
Ian (age 54)

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 05:22 AM

I sang Farmer's Boy last Saturday at the Bores Head sesh in Middlewich

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 05:34 AM

It depends, I guess, on what 'folkvix' meant when he said 'traditional events'; but a version of 'John Barleycorn' is sung in the run-up to the Haxey Hood Game (Ruth has already mentioned 'Farmer's Boy' in that context) and that's a sight more traditional than folk clubs or folk festivals; or modern pub sessions, which is what 'Mr Happy' presumably meant when he said 'sesh' (not a very helpful term to use when talking to an American student).

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 05:55 AM

folkvix,

Apologies for my use of the common colloquial term 'sesh'.

Here's a short glossary & explanation of my post:

The Boars Head is a public house [public alcoholic drinking establishment & social venue] in Middlewich [a small town in Cheshire county, England]

The colloquialism 'sesh' is an abbreviation of the word 'session', which round my local area can mean a 'singaround' [ a music & song jam, or even a mainly tunes jam with the odd song here & there]

I'm not sure what 'more traditional' means

Hope this is clarification enough.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: greg stephens
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 05:58 AM

The Farmer's Boy is sung everywhere, to this day. It started life in Little Leigh in Cheshire(so they say, written by a curate or some similar religious-type person).

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 06:09 AM

Farmers Boy is also the anthem of a British army regiment.

See here:

http://www.farmersboys.com/

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: GUEST,Henryp
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 07:58 AM

Prior to the Haxey Hood game, the Fool and the Boggins tour all four local pubs (it would obviously be unfair to visit just one ) and perform three songs; John Barleycorn, Cannons (Drink England Dry) and The Farmer's Boy.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 08:14 PM

Both songs have been found in New York State (USA) tradition.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:35 AM

Here's Farmer's Boy being sung at Haxey Hood this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yERuBi8wbkI

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: GUEST,Bendle
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 07:08 AM

Not only are the three songs of the Haxey Hood sung on "Hood Day", but in the the pubs in the locality, by the Boggins, between Christmas and New Year.The best renditions are after the game in whichever pub has the Hood. All monies collected go to local charities.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 02:00 PM

The late Gordon Hall sang his updated version of "The Farmer`s Boy" and very entertaining it is too.

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 05:18 AM

Not forgetting Albert Richardson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc5u_AJ1Lg

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 05:37 AM

Hmmmnnn...Albert's seems to be the abridged version, he's missed out two whole verses!

I guess when that recording was made, time limitations had to be considered

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: folkvix
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 06:50 PM

Wow! Thanks to everyone for the replies. Sorry I haven't got back earlier -- crisis in the family.

Thanks for the English Folk journal leads, the NY lead, and for letting me know about Haxey Hood. I'll have to follow them up!

Oh and thanks for teaching me a new word -- sesh!

Are there any other folk-specific terms I should know?

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 12:11 AM

If you mean 'To be a farmers' boy', it was also the Regimental March of the Dorset Regiment (nicknamed the 'Green Linnet's' due to the facings on their jackets being pea green) which joined with the Devonshire Regt in the 1950's to become the Devon and Dorset Regiment.

LTS

Subject: Lyr Add: JIM JAWBONE (version of John Barleycorn)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 03:50 AM

Folkvix,
Somebody passed on this fascinating (to me anyway) of John Barleycorn last year,
Jim Carroll

version:

JIM JAWBONE
TUNE. "Yankee Doodle was a gentleman."

Jim Jawbone was a color'd man,
Ob de true negro blood, sa,
In old Virginny he did grow,
Among de 'bacca buds, sa.
His fader cum from Alabam,
His moder cum from Guinea,
Dey suckled little Jawbone wid
De leaf ob ole Virginny.

Chorus:
Success to de tobacco leaf,
An' to de Jawbone Grinny,
Sing may dey raise for our relief,
De plant ob ole Virginny.


Dey cradled in tobacco stalks,
Dis blooming infant black, sa;
An' long before he larnt to talk,
He squealed de name of "bacca."
Soon as young Jim fus' larnt to creep,
Dey missed an' thought him killed, sa,
But dey found him in de field asleep,
Upon a bacca hill, sa,

Chorus

As Jim growed up, de more he show
His vegetable breed, sa;
His 'plexion from the de sable crow,
Turned like de yallar weed, sa;
His limbs growed so jist like de plant,
When cutting time come round, sa,
He took 'em for tobacco stalks,
An' cut'mself clar down, sa.

Chorus

So poor Jim Jawbone had to die,
All by dis sad slipstake, sa,
He hung him up wid stalks to dry,
Upon de 'bacca brake, sa;
Dis pipe I cut out ob de bone,
Dat growed out ob his shin, sa,
An' de more I smoke de 'bacca out,
De more keeps coming in, sa,


From Christy's Panorama Songster, 1852

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: folkvix
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 06:33 PM

Thanks Liz and Jim -- I saw Mr. Happy mentioned the song being used for an army regiment as well. Fascinating!

And the Christy's (Minstrels?) version: I wonder if that was written by blacks or a version written by someone like Stephen Foster?

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: GUEST,Tap Happy
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 07:37 PM

absolutely bloomin everywhere, my dear!

TH

Subject: RE: John Barleycorn and Farmers Boy?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 03:46 AM

Christy Panorama Songster - no idea of origin of song but usually that type of publication derived from the Minstrel Shows - ie Whites 'blacking-up'.
Wouldn't have thought Foster, but Charlie Noble might know.
Wherever it came from, it couldn't be anything else but an adaptation of John Barleycorn.
Jim Carroll