John Barleycorn --- Trad. -- arr. Jolly Beggar  ttto: The Idiot --- Stan Rogers

There are many versions of this song and I've never heard a bad one. This one by Jolly Beggar is my favourite.

John [D]Barleycorn to the [G]sea has gone
In a [D]ship both stout and [A7]new,
The [D]thirst to slake of [G]Captain Drake
And [D]all his [A7]loyal [D]crew.
To [D]venture brave o'er [G]wind and wave,
The [D]Spaniard for to [A7]halt,
And [D]though he die of [G]Spanish grape
He'll [D]live as [A7]English [D]malt.

     So we'll [G]cut him down and we'll [D]bind him round
     And we'll [G]serve him worse than [A7]that,
     For we'll [D]grind his bones be-[G]tween two stones
     And we'll [D]bung him [A7]in a [D]vat.
     Then we'll [G]drink his health in [D]nut-brown ale,
     And we'll [G]raise our glasses [A7]high,
     For be-[D]fore that he can [G]live again
     John [D]Barley-[A7]corn must [D]die! 

John [D]Barleycorn's to the [G]courting gone
All [D]dressed in fine ar-[A7]ray,
In [D]pewter clad from [G]toe to head
To [D]win a [A7]lady [D]gay.
The [D]poetry that [G]he declaims
Will [D]stand him in good [A7]stead,
For the [D]ladies fair do [G]all declare
They [D]love it [A7]more than [D]head.

     So we'll [G]cut him down and we'll [D]bind him round
     And we'll [G]serve him worse than [A7]that,
     For we'll [D]grind his bones be-[G]tween two stones
     And we'll [D]bung him [A7]in a [D]vat.
     Then we'll [G]drink his health in [D]nut-brown ale,
     And we'll [G]raise our glasses [A7]high,
     For be-[D]fore that he can [G]live again
     John [D]Barley-[A7]corn must [D]die!

John [D]Barleycorn's to the [G]hangman gone
And the [D]reason I'll un- [A7]fold:
'Tis for [D]robbing honest [G]Englishmen
Of their [D]silver [A7]and their [D]gold.
In a [D]grave unknown by [G]cross nor stone
John [D]Barley will be [A7]lain,
'Til the [D]rainy days have [G]gone their ways
And he [D]rises [A7]up a-[G]gain.  

     So we'll [G]cut him down and we'll [D]bind him round
     And we'll [G]serve him worse than [A7]that,
     For we'll [D]grind his bones be-[G]tween two stones
     And we'll [D]bung him [A7]in a [D]vat.
     Then we'll [G]drink his health in [D]nut-brown ale,
     And we'll [G]raise our glasses [A7]high,
     For be-[D]fore that he can [G]live again
     John [D]Barley-[A7]corn must [D]die!

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