There were three men came out of the west
Their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn must die
They plowed, they sowed, they harrowed him in
Threw clods upon his head
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn was dead
They let him lie for a very long time
Till the rain from heaven did fall
And little Sir John sprung up his head
And so amazed them all
They let him stand till the midsummer's day
Till he looked both pale and wan
And little Sir John he grew a long beard
And so became a man
They hired men with the scythe so sharp
To cut him off at the knee
They rolled him and tied him by the waist
Serving him most barbarously
They hired men with the sharp pitchforks
Who pricked him to the heart
And the loader he served him worse than that
For he bound him to the cart
They hired men with the crab tree sticks
To cut him skin from bone
And the miller he served him worse than that
For he ground him between two stones
And little Sir John and the nut brown bow
And whiskey in the glass
And little Sir John and the nut brown bow
Prove the strongest man at last
And the huntsman he can't hunt the fox
Nor so loudly blow his horn
And the tinker he can't mend kettles nor pots
Without a little barleycorn
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