Here's a slightly different version, I got it from an old songbook many years ago and would be interested to discover where it came from etc.

THE BARLEY GRAIN FOR ME

Oh, three men went to market to sell three loads of rye.
They shouted up and they shouted down: the barley grain should die.

CHORUS: Ti rie Icherie eerie an
Ti rie ichrie ee.
Ti rie icherie erie an
The Barley Grain for me.

The ploughman came with a heavy plough. He ploughed me under the sod,
The winter being over and the summer coming on.

The reaper came with a sharp knife. He made me for to cry.
He caught me by the whiskers and he cut me above the thigh.

The binder came with a heavy thong. She bound me all around,
And they hired a handy man to stand me on the ground.

The pitcher came with a sharp fork. He pierced me to the heart,
And like a thief or highwayman, they threw me on the cart.

The thresher came with a heavy flail. He swore he'd break my bones,
But the miller he used me worse, he ground me between two stones.

They took me out of that. They put me in a well.
They left me there for a space of time 'till my belly began to swell.

The brewer came with all her art. She put me in the pan,
And when I got into the jug, I was the strongest man.

They drank me in the kitchen. They drank me in the hall,
But the drunkard used me worst of all. He threw me against the wall.

Chris

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 5-Sep-02.