John Barleycorn (must Die) chords by Traffic

• Tuning: Standard tuning
• Capo on 7th

Arpeggiated and lightly strummed
Standard tuning w/Capo 7

Chords      EADGBe

Asus2:      X02200
Esus4:      022200
E7:         020100
E7sus4:     020200



[Intro]


D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2

[Verse 1]

      D          Am       C   G      Am
There were three men came out of the west,
      D         C  G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
Their fortunes for to try.
    D           Am         C  G   Am Asus2 Am
And these three men made a solemn oath,
     D     C    G    Am Asus2 Am Asus2
John Barleycorn must die.


[Chorus 1]

        C                  C     C/B        Am
They`ve ploughed, they`ve sewn, they`ve harrowed him in,
      C      D       Esus4    E7  E7sus4 E7
Threw clods upon his head.
    Dm          Am         C  G   Am Asus2 Am
And these three men made a solemn oath,
     D     C    G   Am Asus2 Am Asus2
John Barleycorn was dead.


[Instrumental]

D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2


[Verse 2]

        D       Am        C    G    Am
They`ve let him lie for a very long time,
         D          C      G     Am Asus2 Am
Till the rains from heaven did fall.
    D          Am          C  G   Am Asus2 Am
And little Sir John sprung up his head,
    D    C    G    Am Asus2 Am
and so amazed them all.


[Chorus 2]

      C           C   C/B  Am
They`ve let him stand till Midsummer`s Day,
        C           D        Esus4    E7  E7sus4 E7
Till he looked both pale and wan.
    Dm          Am                C  G    Am Asus2 Am
And little Sir John has grown a long long beard
   D      C  G   Am Asus2 Am
And so  become a man


[Instrumental]

D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2


[Verse]
        D     Am           C       G  Am
They`ve hired men with the scythes so sharp,
   D           C  G   Am Asus2 Am
To cut him off at the knee.
        D              Am       C  G   Am Asus2 Am
They`ve rolled him and tied him by the waist,
       D         C  G     Am Asus2 Am
Serving him most barbarously.


[Chorus]
       C      C  C/B       Am
They`ve hired men with the sharp pitchforks,
    C           D      Esus4    E7  Esus4 E7
Who pricked him to the heart.
       Dm             Am         C     G    Am Asus2 Am
And the loader he has served him worse than that,
         D         C  G   Am Asus2 Am
For he`s bound him to the cart.


[Instrumental]

D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2


[Verse]
       D            Am         C      G   Am
They`ve wheeled him around and around the field,
          D    C   G  Am Asus2 Am
Till they came unto a pond.
    D         Am     C  G    Am Asus2 Am
And there they made a solemn oath,
   D         C  G  Am Asus2 Am
On poor John Barleycorn.


[Chorus]
       C      C   C/B      Am
They`ve hired men with the crab-tree sticks,
    C        D       Esus4    E7  E7sus4 E7
To cut him skin from bone.
       Dm             Am         C     G    Am Asus2 Am
And the miller he has served him worse than that,
        D             C     G   Am Asus2 Am
For he`s ground him between two stones.


[Instrumental]

D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2
D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2


[Verse]
     D          Am          C   G     Am
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl,
         D      C   G  Am Asus2 Am
And he’s brandy in the glass.
    D          Am           C   G     Am Asus2 Am
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl,
           D         C   G  Am Asus2 Am
Proved the strongest man at last.


[Outro]
    C         C   C/B  Am
The huntsman, he can`t hunt the fox,
       C         D        Esus4    E7  E7sus4 E7
Nor so loudly to blow his horn.
       Dm          Am          C    G   Am Asus2 Am
And the tinker he can`t mend kettle nor pots,
    D*            C*  G*  Am**
Without a little Barleycorn.

* = single strum

** = Am ends like this:

E |---------------------0---|
B |-------------1------1----|
G |---------2---------2-----|
D |-----2------------2------|
A |-0---------------0-------|
E |-------------------------|