John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Traffic, released in 1970, on Island Records in the United Kingdom, and United Artists in the United States, catalogue UAS 5504. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, their highest charting album in the US, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA. In addition, the single "Empty Pages" spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 74. The album was marginally less successful in the UK, reaching number 11 on the UK Albums Chart.
John Barleycorn is a Britishfolksong (Roud 164). The character of John Barleycorn in the song is a personification of the important cereal crop barley and of the alcoholic beverages made from it, beer and whisky. In the song, John Barleycorn is represented as suffering attacks, death and indignities that correspond to the various stages of barley cultivation, such as reaping and malting.
Origins
Kathleen Herbert draws a link between the mythical figure Beowa (a figure stemming from Anglo-Saxon paganism that appears in early Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies whose name means "barley") and the figure of John Barleycorn. Herbert says that Beowa and Barleycorn are one and the same, noting that the folksong details the suffering, death, and resurrection of Barleycorn, yet also celebrates the "reviving effects of drinking his blood."
In their notes to the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs (London, 1959), editors A L Lloyd and Ralph Vaughan Williams ponder whether the ballad is "an unusually coherent folklore survival" or "the creation of an antiquarian revivalist, which has passed into popular currency and become 'folklorised'". It is in any case, they note, "an old song", with printed versions dating as far back as the sixteenth century.
In this memoir, there are the themes of masculinity and male friendship. London discusses various life experiences he has had with alcohol, and at widely different stages in his life. Key stages are his late teen years when he earned money as a sailor and later in life when he was a wealthy, successful writer.
Alcohol
Alcohol plays a big role in facilitating the themes listed above. The book is about the social facilitation of alcohol, but is also a cautionary tale about the addictive powers of alcohol and its deleterious effects on health. London describes the effects of alcohol along both optimistic and pessimistic lines, insisting at some points that it helped him in his developmental process towards becoming a man as he understood the idea and a writer and at other points that it limited in developing him in a healthy way. Alcohol was, during his period, not recognized as it is in the post-2000 period. It remains an important and enduring milestone of his authorial career and of many of the writers of his period, as well as the milestone of many of the social historians of his period. London insisted that historical literature was always more important in his life than alcohol, however.
Steve Winwood // Traffic - John Barleycorn (Must Die)
Steve Winwood performs a solo acoustic version of Traffic's John Barleycorn (Must Die).
www.stevewinwood.com
www.facebook.com/stevewinwood
published: 23 Mar 2012
TRAFFIC John Barleycorn Must Die 05 John Barleycorn
published: 07 Apr 2010
John Barleycorn
Traditional English folk song
published: 14 Sep 2007
Sam Lee - John Barleycorn (Official Video)
Taken from 'Old Wow+', a reissue with 6 bonus tracks, out now. Including two songs recorded in Stonehenge, two live tracks and two Singing With Nightingales recordings. Stream / order here: https://SLee.lnk.to/oldwowplus
Follow Sam Lee:
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samleefolk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samleesong
https://www.samleesong.co.uk
#OldWow #JohnBarleycorn #Stonehenge
published: 24 Sep 2021
English Folk Song - John Barleycorn
John Barleycorn (Roud Folk Song Index #164) is an allegorical English folk song celebrating the sowing and harvest of barley and its subsequent use as alcohol. John Barleycorn is one of the most well-known English folk songs due to the wide range of musical adaptations that exist, many from well-known bands such as Traffic. It is also one of the oldest English folk songs, already having been printed by the 17th century with roots that extend centuries further in the past. It has its origins in the pagan worship of the Corn God who was symbolically killed and resurrected each harvest cycle.
Recording credit: John Graham Donaldson, Folk Music of England
This channel is dedicated to preserving the neglected culture of English folk songs in the form of short lyrical videos. The folk songs of...
published: 26 Sep 2020
stronghold 3 john barleycorn
Traditional, Arranged/Produced by: Robert Euvino
Guitar/Voice credits To Shaman (Stuart) Starseed (DeUsoz)
stronghold 3
published: 29 Oct 2011
John Barleycorn (2009 Remaster)
Provided to YouTube by Chrysalis Records Ltd.
John Barleycorn (2009 Remaster) · Steeleye Span
Below the Salt
℗ 2009 Chrysalis Records Limited
Released on: 1972-10-14
Auto-generated by YouTube.
published: 08 Feb 2020
The Imagined Village - John Barleycorn (Live at Real World Studios)
The Imagined Village performing "John Barleycorn" live in the Big Room at Real World Studios. Billy Bragg steps in for this live version of the track to replace the vocal of Paul Weller.
https://realworldrecords.com/release/229/the-imagined-village/
http://facebook.com/RealWorldRecords
http://twitter.com/RealWorldRec
published: 19 Nov 2014
Ayreheart - John Barleycorn
Ayreheart - John Barleycorn
Performed by Ayreheart
From the album Barley Moon
http://www.sonoluminus.com
But this song at:
http://apple.co/1rylVjQ
Taken from 'Old Wow+', a reissue with 6 bonus tracks, out now. Including two songs recorded in Stonehenge, two live tracks and two Singing With Nightingales rec...
Taken from 'Old Wow+', a reissue with 6 bonus tracks, out now. Including two songs recorded in Stonehenge, two live tracks and two Singing With Nightingales recordings. Stream / order here: https://SLee.lnk.to/oldwowplus
Follow Sam Lee:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/samleesong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samleefolk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samleesong
https://www.samleesong.co.uk
#OldWow #JohnBarleycorn #Stonehenge
Taken from 'Old Wow+', a reissue with 6 bonus tracks, out now. Including two songs recorded in Stonehenge, two live tracks and two Singing With Nightingales recordings. Stream / order here: https://SLee.lnk.to/oldwowplus
Follow Sam Lee:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/samleesong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samleefolk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samleesong
https://www.samleesong.co.uk
#OldWow #JohnBarleycorn #Stonehenge
John Barleycorn (Roud Folk Song Index #164) is an allegorical English folk song celebrating the sowing and harvest of barley and its subsequent use as alcohol. ...
John Barleycorn (Roud Folk Song Index #164) is an allegorical English folk song celebrating the sowing and harvest of barley and its subsequent use as alcohol. John Barleycorn is one of the most well-known English folk songs due to the wide range of musical adaptations that exist, many from well-known bands such as Traffic. It is also one of the oldest English folk songs, already having been printed by the 17th century with roots that extend centuries further in the past. It has its origins in the pagan worship of the Corn God who was symbolically killed and resurrected each harvest cycle.
Recording credit: John Graham Donaldson, Folk Music of England
This channel is dedicated to preserving the neglected culture of English folk songs in the form of short lyrical videos. The folk songs of the English have been overlooked compared to those of the other British peoples, something that this channel hopes to fix.
John Barleycorn (Roud Folk Song Index #164) is an allegorical English folk song celebrating the sowing and harvest of barley and its subsequent use as alcohol. John Barleycorn is one of the most well-known English folk songs due to the wide range of musical adaptations that exist, many from well-known bands such as Traffic. It is also one of the oldest English folk songs, already having been printed by the 17th century with roots that extend centuries further in the past. It has its origins in the pagan worship of the Corn God who was symbolically killed and resurrected each harvest cycle.
Recording credit: John Graham Donaldson, Folk Music of England
This channel is dedicated to preserving the neglected culture of English folk songs in the form of short lyrical videos. The folk songs of the English have been overlooked compared to those of the other British peoples, something that this channel hopes to fix.
Provided to YouTube by Chrysalis Records Ltd.
John Barleycorn (2009 Remaster) · Steeleye Span
Below the Salt
℗ 2009 Chrysalis Records Limited
Released on: 1...
Provided to YouTube by Chrysalis Records Ltd.
John Barleycorn (2009 Remaster) · Steeleye Span
Below the Salt
℗ 2009 Chrysalis Records Limited
Released on: 1972-10-14
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Provided to YouTube by Chrysalis Records Ltd.
John Barleycorn (2009 Remaster) · Steeleye Span
Below the Salt
℗ 2009 Chrysalis Records Limited
Released on: 1972-10-14
Auto-generated by YouTube.
The Imagined Village performing "John Barleycorn" live in the Big Room at Real World Studios. Billy Bragg steps in for this live version of the track to replace...
The Imagined Village performing "John Barleycorn" live in the Big Room at Real World Studios. Billy Bragg steps in for this live version of the track to replace the vocal of Paul Weller.
https://realworldrecords.com/release/229/the-imagined-village/
http://facebook.com/RealWorldRecords
http://twitter.com/RealWorldRec
The Imagined Village performing "John Barleycorn" live in the Big Room at Real World Studios. Billy Bragg steps in for this live version of the track to replace the vocal of Paul Weller.
https://realworldrecords.com/release/229/the-imagined-village/
http://facebook.com/RealWorldRecords
http://twitter.com/RealWorldRec
Taken from 'Old Wow+', a reissue with 6 bonus tracks, out now. Including two songs recorded in Stonehenge, two live tracks and two Singing With Nightingales recordings. Stream / order here: https://SLee.lnk.to/oldwowplus
Follow Sam Lee:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/samleesong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samleefolk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samleesong
https://www.samleesong.co.uk
#OldWow #JohnBarleycorn #Stonehenge
John Barleycorn (Roud Folk Song Index #164) is an allegorical English folk song celebrating the sowing and harvest of barley and its subsequent use as alcohol. John Barleycorn is one of the most well-known English folk songs due to the wide range of musical adaptations that exist, many from well-known bands such as Traffic. It is also one of the oldest English folk songs, already having been printed by the 17th century with roots that extend centuries further in the past. It has its origins in the pagan worship of the Corn God who was symbolically killed and resurrected each harvest cycle.
Recording credit: John Graham Donaldson, Folk Music of England
This channel is dedicated to preserving the neglected culture of English folk songs in the form of short lyrical videos. The folk songs of the English have been overlooked compared to those of the other British peoples, something that this channel hopes to fix.
Provided to YouTube by Chrysalis Records Ltd.
John Barleycorn (2009 Remaster) · Steeleye Span
Below the Salt
℗ 2009 Chrysalis Records Limited
Released on: 1972-10-14
Auto-generated by YouTube.
The Imagined Village performing "John Barleycorn" live in the Big Room at Real World Studios. Billy Bragg steps in for this live version of the track to replace the vocal of Paul Weller.
https://realworldrecords.com/release/229/the-imagined-village/
http://facebook.com/RealWorldRecords
http://twitter.com/RealWorldRec
John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Traffic, released in 1970, on Island Records in the United Kingdom, and United Artists in the United States, catalogue UAS 5504. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, their highest charting album in the US, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA. In addition, the single "Empty Pages" spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 74. The album was marginally less successful in the UK, reaching number 11 on the UK Albums Chart.
There were three men came out of the West Their fortunes for to try And these three men made a solemn vow John Barleycorn must die. They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in Threw clods all upon his head And these three men made a solemn vow John barleycorn was Dead. They let him stand for a very long time Till the rains from heaven did fall Then little Sir John's sprung up his head And so amazed them all They let him stand till the Midsummer Day Till he grew both pale and wan Then little Sir John's grew a great, long beard And so become a man. They hire'd men with scythes so sharp To cut him off at the knee. They bound him and tied him around the waist Serving him most barb'rously. They hire'd men with their sharp pitch-forks To prick him to the heart But the drover served him worse than that For he's bound him to a cart. They rolled him around and around the field Till they came unto a barn And these three men made a solemn mow Of poor John Barleycorn They hire'd men with crab-tree sticks To strip him skin from bone But the miller, served him worse than that, For he's ground him between two stones. Here's Little sir John in the nut-brown bowl And brandy in the glass But Little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl's Proved the stronger man at last For the hunts man he can't hunt the fox Nor cheerily blow his horn And the tinker, can't mend Kettle or pot