Anglo,

Here's the way we have the song, which is very close to Bald Eagle's version. You'll see minor changes in most verses and the gaps filled in the last verse. I don't pretend that this is definitive, it's just the way we learned it about 25 years ago. Cheers, Dave

JOHN BARLEYCORN

There were three men came out of Kent
Their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn should die
So they ploughed him deep into furrows
and they laid clods o'er his head
And these three men all rejoicing went
John Barleycorn was dead

Chorus: Come and put your wine into glasses
Put your cider into old tin cans
Put Barleycorn in the nut brown bowl
For he's proved the strongest man

So the sun shone warm and the wind blew strong
And it rained in a day or so
John Barleycorn sought the wind and the rain
And he soon began to grow
But the rye began to grow as well
It grew up strong but tall
John Barleycorn grew short and sweet
And he proved them liars all

Chorus

So they hired men with scythes
For to cut him off at knee
And worse than that, poor Barleycorn
They served him barbarously
Then they hired men with pitchforks
To toss him into a barn
And when they've tossed John Barleycorn
They've tied him down with thorns

Chorus

Then they hired men with rushes
To beat him high and low
They came smick-smack upon poor Jack's back
Until the place began to blow
Then they put him into a mashing bin
They 'gan to burn his tail
And when he came out they changed his name
For they called him home brewed ale.

Chorus