1: There came three men oot fae the west,
Three men baith great and high;
And they hae swore a solemn oath,
That John Barleycorn should die.
Chorus:
Oh! Oh! John Barley,
Oh! John Barleycorn,
It wad break the heart o a dying man,
Tae hear John Barley moan.
2: They hae ploughed him deep intae the grund,
Put sods upon his heid;
And they hae swore a solemn oath,
That John Barleycorn wis deid.
3: Aye, an gentle spring cam kindly on,
And showers began tae faa;
John Baleycorn rose up again,
Aye, an sair surprised them aa.
4: Aye, an sultry summer soon it cam,
And the sun it brightly shone;
John Barleycorn grew a lang, lang beard,
Aye, and so became a man.
5: They hae taen a scythe baith land an shairp,
Cut him aboot the knee;
And they've tied him fast upon a cairt,
Like some rogue for a felony.
6: They hae roasted him ower the scorching fire,
Till the marra ran fae his bones;
And the miller used him worse than that,
He's crushed him between two stones.
7: Aye, but John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
And of noble enterprise;
If ever you do taste his blood,
It'd mak your courage rise.
8: So let us toast John Barleycorn,
Every man wi his gless in his hand;
Aye, an may his great prosperity,
Never fail in aa Scotland.
Chorus:
Oh! Oh! John Barley,
Oh! John Barleycorn,
It wad break the heart o a dying man,
Tae hear John Barley moan.
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