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16 Sep 19 - 04:24 PM (#4009160) Subject: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: RTim Below is a version of John Barleycorn as recorded by John Langstaff in 1956 and then latterly by David Coffin on his "Last Trip Home" cd. Now it says it was collected by Cecil Sharp in 1906...but I can't find from whom....Can anyone tell me - or is it a mishmash of versions that was possibly published by Sharp...?? Thanks - Tim Radford -------------------------------------------------------------- John Barleycorn – but from whom? There were three kings come from the west their victory to try And they had taken a solemn oath John Barleycorn should die - Fol the dol the diddy a, Fol the dol the diddy aga wha…. The took a plough and ploughed him in laid clods upon his head And they have taken a solemn oath John Barleycorn is dead So there he lay for a full fortnight till the dew on him did fall Then Barleycorn sprung up again and that surprised them all There he remained till midsummer and looked both pale and wan Then Barleycorn he got a beard and so became a man Then they sent men with scythes so sharp to cut him off at knee And then poor Johnny Barleycorn they served him barbarously Oh Barleycorn is the choicest grain that e’er was sown on land It will do more than any grain by the turning of your hand |
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16 Sep 19 - 05:08 PM (#4009169) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Steve Gardham Chorus and probably tune are John Stafford at Bishop's Sutton, Som. 27 Aug 1906. The text is either a compound or perhaps from a broadside. I'll have look at Sharp's published versions. |
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16 Sep 19 - 05:20 PM (#4009171) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Reinhard Cecil Sharp, Folk-Songs from Somerset, Second Edition 1911, page 36/37: JOHN BARLEYCORN. SECOND VERSION. There were three kings came from the West, Their victory to try ; And they have t!aken a solemn oath, John Barleycorn should die. Fol the dol the didiay, Fol the dol the di-di-a-ge wo* 2. They took a plough and ploughed him in, Laid clods upon his head ; And they have taken a solemn oath, John Barleycorn is dead. Fol the dol, etc. 3. So there he lay for a full fortnight, Till the dew on him did fall : Then Barleycorn sprung up again, And that surprised them all, Fol the dol, etc. 4. There he remained till midsummer. And looked both pale and wan ; Then Barleycorn he got a beard, And so became a man. Fol the dol, etc. 5. Then they sent men with scythes so sharp, To cut him off at knee ; And then poor Johnny Barleycorn, They served him barbarously. Fol the dol, etc. 6. O Barleycorn is the choicest grain That e'er was sown on land ; It will do more than any grain, By the turning of your hand. Fol the dol the didiay, Fol the dol the di-di-a-ge wo. And at the end: No. 90. JOHN BARLEYCORN. (second version). Tune sung by Mr. John Stafford at Bishops Sutton. I have related the circumstances, which led to the collection of this song, in The Musical Times for Jan., 1907. I have found it very difficult to express satisfactorily in musical notation the exact way in which Mr. Stafford sang this song. He dwelt, perhaps, upon the double-dotted notes rather longer than their written value, although not long enough to warrant their being marked with the formal pause. The tune, with its curious refrain, is a very characteristic one and justifies me, I think, in including it in this collection as a second version. I have noted down six different tunes to this same song, in addition to the two printed in these volumes. Mr. Stafford told me that he heard the song solemnly chanted by some street singers, who passed through his village when he was a child. The song fascinated him and he followed the singers and tried to learn it from them. For several days afterwards he was unable to recall the air, when one day, to his great delight, the tune suddenly came back to him, and since then he has constantly sung it. He gave me the words of the first verse only. The remaining verses in the text have been taken from Bell's Songs of the Peasantry of England. By way of experiment, I have harmonized this song rather elaborately. Those who prefer a simpler setting can repeat the harmonies of the first verse. |
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16 Sep 19 - 05:21 PM (#4009172) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Steve Gardham Verse 1 is mainly Mrs Franks. at Nempnett Thrubwell, 27 Aug, 1906. |
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16 Sep 19 - 05:25 PM (#4009174) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Steve Gardham v3 'full fortnight' is Alfred Emery at Othery 4 April, 1908 |
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16 Sep 19 - 05:28 PM (#4009175) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Steve Gardham v5 closest to Shepherd Haden's version, Bampton, Oxon 1909 |
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16 Sep 19 - 05:30 PM (#4009177) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Steve Gardham So it's one of Sharp's composite published versions. |
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18 Sep 19 - 02:57 PM (#4009477) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: John P Darn, you got me all excited thinking The Who had done John Barleycorn . . . |
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18 Sep 19 - 03:12 PM (#4009483) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: RTim The original post should have said - "Whom" - but there was not enough space on the subject line...... For awhile I have been wanting to run a session on the singing all versions of John Barleycorn possible....that would be fun. Tim Radford |
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18 Sep 19 - 04:12 PM (#4009491) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Steve Gardham Is that all at once, Tim? You'd need at least a year otherwise. |
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19 Sep 19 - 04:12 AM (#4009534) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler We sing three versions compressed into one as Caffrey/McGurk/Madge. Nick can give you chapter and verse on where each one came from. Robin |
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19 Sep 19 - 04:51 AM (#4009540) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: GUEST,kenny Anybody else getting 3 advertisements above at the end of posts ? I know it's been mentioned elsewhere, but it's the first time I've come across it. Bloody annoying. It wasn't "The Who" - it was "Traffic" :) https://youtu.be/pnkHP_v3CYw |
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19 Sep 19 - 04:52 AM (#4009541) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: GUEST,kenny Hmm. ads have gone away. |
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19 Sep 19 - 04:56 AM (#4009543) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Jim Carroll We recorded a fabulous Irish version of this (entitled The Barley Grain) from two elderly brothers in North Clare back in the 70s It has a nice conclusion where Little Sir John ends up being "pissed against the wall" by a drunkard I think it can still be heard on the Irish Traditional Music Archive site (sung by either Austin or Michael Flanagan of Luach) Jim Caarroll |
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19 Sep 19 - 07:10 AM (#4009556) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: GUEST,Grishka It must have been the famous scholar Doctor Who, who read it in Sharp's book and then went back in time. |
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19 Sep 19 - 08:47 AM (#4009570) Subject: RE: Origins: John Barleycorn - But collected from Who From: Lighter Michael Flanagan's spirited (couldn't resist) performance is right here: https://www.itma.ie/digital-library/sound/barley-grain-flanagan Thanks to all involved in the preservation, collection, and making available this song (and many more). The air is "The Wearing of the Green." |