John Barleycorn Must Die chords by Traffic (Ver. 2)

John Barleycorn (must die) chords
Traffic (English Folksong) *

A G D Em D Em D 2x

   A     Em    G  D   Em
There were three men came out of the west,
   A    G  D Em
their fortunes for to try
  A      Em     G D  Em
And these three men made a solemn vow:
   A   G  D  Em
John Barleycorn must die.

    G         Em  D    Em
They've ploughed, they've sewn, they've harrowed him in;
   G    A    Em
threw clods at Barley's head
  A      Em     G D  Em
And these three men made a solemn vow:
   A   G  D  Em
John Barleycorn was dead.

A G D Em D Em D 4x

    A    Em    G  D  Em
They've let him lie for a very long time,
     A     G   D  Em
'till the rains from heaven did fall
  A     Em     G D  Em
And little Sir John sprung up his head,
  A  G   D  Em
and so amazed them all.

    G    Em   D  Em
They've let him stand 'till midsummer's day,
   G       A    Em
'till he looked both pale and worn
  A     Em       G   D  Em
And little Sir John's grown a long, long beard,
  A  G  D Em
and so become a man.

A G D Em D Em D 4x

    A   Em      G    D Em
They've hired men with the scythes so sharp,
  A    G  D   Em
to cut him off at the knee
    A       Em    G D  Em
They've rolled him and tied him by the waist,
    A    G D   Em
servin' him most barbarously.

    G   Em D    Em
They've hired men with the sharp pitchforks,
  G      A   Em
who pricked him to the heart
    A       Em     G   D  Em
And the loader he has served him worse than that,
     A     G D  Em
for he's bound him to the cart

A G D Em D Em D 4x

    A      Em     G   D  Em
They've wheeled him around and around the field,
      A   G D Em
'till they came unto a barn
  A     Em   G D  Em
And there they made a solemn oath,
  A     G D Em
on poor John Barleycorn.

    G   Em D    Em
They've hired men with the crab-tree sticks,
  G    A     Em
to cut him skin from bone
    A       Em     G   D  Em
And the miller he has served him worse than that,
     A      G   D  Em
for he's ground him between two stones.

A G D Em D Em D 4x

  A     Em      G  D   Em
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl,
     A   G D  Em
and he's brandy in the glass
  A     Em      G  D   Em
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl,
      A     G  D Em
proved the strongest man at last.

  G  Em  D    Em
The huntsman, he can't hunt the fox,
    G     A    Em
nor so loudly to blow his horn
    A     Em     G   D  Em
And the tinker he can't mend kettle nor pots,
  A      G D Em
without a little Barleycorn


* Alternate:

Capo VII (probably the most correct)

A = D
Em = Am
G = C
D = G

Capo II

A = G
Em = Dm
G = F
D = C

set8