i "googled" John Barleycorn....."Ballard of J.B."'''''''''''''''''

[fraankie]

here's the link...........

http://www.pokkettz.demon.co.uk/barleycorn/about.html




The Ballad Of John Barleycorn


There was three men come out of the West
Their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn must die.
They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in
Throwing clods all on his head
And these three men made a solemn vow
John barleycorn was Dead.

They've left him in the ground for a very long time
Till the rains from heaven did fall
Then little Sir John's sprung up his head
And so amazed them all
They've left him in the ground till the Midsummer
Till he's grown both pale and wan
Then little Sir John's grown a long, long beard
And so become a man.

They hire'd men with their scythes so sharp
To cut him off at the knee.
They've bound him and tied him around the waist
Serving him most barb'rously.
They hire'd men with their sharp pitch-forks
To ***** him to the heart
But the drover he served him worse than that
For he's bound him to the cart.

They've rolled him around and around the field
Till they came unto a barn
And there they made a solemn mow
Of Little Sir John Barleycorn
They've hire'd men with their crab-tree sticks
To strip him skin from bone
But the miller, he served him worse than that,
For he's ground him between two stones. Here's Little sir John in the nut-brown bowl
And brandy in the glass
But Little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl's
Proved the stronger man at last
For the hunts man he can't hunt the fox
Nor so loudly blow his horn
And the tinker, he can't mend Kettles or pots
Without a little of Sir John Barleycorn.

[fraankie]

.....etc.

[splendra]

A band by the name of "TRAFFIC" did and excellent verison of that song...

[fraankie]

it was there when i googled it
mught get the song

thanks
fraankie

[Pick-a-name]

I love that song by Traffic. Thanks for the reminder; have to go find it!

[jdcm1965]

That song was one of the first great protest songs, actually. It was written at a time when England was trying to tax Scottish whiskey to such a point that it would be economically unfeasible to bring it across the border to England. This would force the locals to buy English brands, thereby contributing directly to the crown.
Smuggling was a way to get around these taxes. There is a brand of Scotch called "Sheep's Dip" which got it's name from how it was smuggled. For those who don't know, sheep's dip smells horrible. The scotch was put in barrels which were then marked "Sheep's Dip". At the border the English guards were unwilling to open and inspect the barrels for this reason, and the barrels ot through.
In the end, the populace won out and the tax was nullified, making whiskey (JB) "the strongest man of all".

Johnnyboy