According to Malcolm Douglas, the tune for "Hey, John Barleycorn" in the DT entry "JOHN BARLEYCORN (2)" was taken from Kennedy's "Folksongs of Britain & Ireland", and was collected by Bob Copper from John Attrill of Fittleworth in Sussex, in 1954.

The original song was written by Joseph Bryan Geoghegan in 1859 or 1860, to a substantially different tune. The original title was "John Barleycorn Is A Hero Bold." The lyrics were close to those given in the DT entry (and in the "A Tale of Ale" thread), except that Geoghegan's fourth verse was not given in those entries:

Then shout for great John Barleycorn,
Nor heed the luscious vine.
I've not the mind much charm to find,
In potent draught of wine.
Give me my native nut-brown ale,
All other drinks I scorn
True English cheer is English beer.
Our own John Barleycorn.

Source: The Bodleian Library ballads site, B 20(81). Printer: J. Harkness, Preston; between 1840 and 1866. Series: 1220.


Here is a transcription of the original tune, from sheet music scans sent me by Steve Gardham:

  X:1
  T:John Barleycorn is a hero bold
  C:Written and Composed by J.B. Geoghegan [1860?]
  C:Symphonies and Acc[ompanimen]ts. by John Blockley
  S:Sheet music from Steve Gardham; no publisher or date indicated
  Z:Artful Codger, 2010
  %%MIDI program 1 57
  M:C
  L:1/4
  Q:1/4=144 "Moderato"
  K:D
  A | d c d c/ B/ | A F D z/ F/ | G< B A> G | F2 z z/ F/ |
  w: John Bar-ley-corn is a he-ro bold As any in the land, For
  F D G E | A F d> B | c> d B c | A2 z G |
  w: a-ges good, his fame has stood, And will for a-ges stand.  The
  F A d> c | (B A) G F | G< E e> d | c3 c |
  w: whole wide world re-spect_ him, No mat-ter friend or foe, What-
  d> c d A | B c d e | f> d c e | d3 z |
  w: e'er they be that make too free, He's sure to lay them low.
  [F2d2] [F2d2] | [Gc] [GB] [FA] z | [G2B2] [G2B2] | [FA] [EG] [DF] z |
  w: Hey, John Bar-ley-corn, Ho, John Bar-ley-corn, 
  G> F G [FA] | [G3/2B3/2] [E/c/] H[Fd] z | [G2e2] [EAd] [EAc] | [F3d3] z |]
  w: Old and young thy praise have sung, John Bar-ley-corn.

In addition to the links Masato provided, see also:

Thread on "John Barleycorn"
In particular, see Malcolm Douglas's posts, in which he provides historical notes and links to broadside versions of this song--and usefully distinguishes it from the other John Barleycorn songs.

Thread on "A Tale of Ale"

Thread on J.B. Geoghegan

Parody "Non-Barleycorn" derived from Geoghegan's song.

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