To Malcolm Douglas - I don't want to get into an argument about whether Traffic did a 'version' of the song John Barleycorn or just an 'arrangment' of it. If you want to use the word 'arrangment' then fine by me.

I simply asked whether there was anything in their recorded 'arrangement' of the song that indicated what others have claimed above, i.e. that it was advocating the use of 'pot' or marijuana instead of ale or beer. If , as you say, the song is purely an arrangement of the Penguin Book of Folk Songs song, then I don't see how the above claims can be true.

Can you or anyone else substantiate the above claims? All I want to know is what is the basis for this theory. If I had the record I could listen to it and probably draw my own conclusions; but I don't, so I can't.