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Intro
N.C.
There were three men came from the west
N.C.
Their fortunes for to tell
N.C.
And the life of John Barleycorn as well
Instrumental
D G
Verse
G
They laid him in three furrows deep
D
Laid clods upon his head
G
Then these three man made a solemn vow
C G C
John Barleycorn was dead
D G D G
John Barleycorn was dead
Verse
G
The let him die for a very long time
D
Till the rain from heaven did fall
G
Then little Sir John sprang up his head
C G C
And he did amaze them all
D G D G
He did amaze them all
Verse
G
And they let him stand till the midsummer day
D
Till he looked both pale and wan
G
Then little Sir John, he grew a long beard
C G C
And he so became a man
D G
He so became a man
D
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
G
Sing fa, la, la, lay, oh
G
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
D G D G
Fa, la, la, la, lay, oh
Verse
G
They have hired men with the scythes so sharp
D
To cut him off at the knee
G
And they rolled him and tied him around the waist
C G C
They served him barbarously
D G
They have served him barbarously
D
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
G
Sing fa, la, la, lay, oh
G
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
D G D G
Singing fa, la, la, la, lay, oh
Verse
G
And they have hired men with the crab-tree sticks
D
To cut him skin from bone
G
And the miller he has served him worse than that
C G C
He ground him between two stones
D G
He ground him between two stones
D
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
G
Sing fa, la, la, lay, oh
G
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
D G D G
Singing fa, la, la, la, lay, oh
Verse
G
And they have wheeled him here, and they've wheeled him there
D
They've wheeled him to a barn
G
And they have a-served him a-worse than that
C G C
They've bunged him in a vat
D G
They've a-bunged him in a vat
D
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
G
Sing fa, la, la, lay, oh
G
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
D G D G
Singing fa, la, la, la, lay, oh
Verse
G
Well, they have worked their will on John Barleycorn
D
But he lived to tell the tale
G
For they pour him out of an old brown jug
C G C
And they call him homebrewed ale
D G
They call him homebrewed ale
D
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
G
Sing fa, la, la, lay, oh
G
Fa, la, la, la, it's a lovely day
D G D G
Singing fa, la, la, la, lay, oh
Outro
G D G C G C D G
G D G D G D G
Written by Tim Hart/Robert Johnson/Rick Kemp/Peter Knight/Maddy Prior/Traditional