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John Barleycorn Must Live Lyrics by The Minus 5

Because We Hate You / Let the War Against Music Begin

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Give me liberty or give me bread
I seek my freedom where ever I must
In younger times, San Pablo Bay
Tomorrow it might be there up across the railroad tress

I leap, I land and gather what's left
It never is quite so much as I think
I pick myself up, lay many down
Yeah this could be the horse that might pull me out of this sink
But I'll still waste the day
Everybody tells me that it couldn't end up any other way

There is a sermon
Board of complaint
A congregation, sinner to saint
Where we are called, all called to forgive
The congregation's shouting
John Barleycorn must live
John Barleycorn must live
John Barleycorn must live

In New York City my work is well done
In subway and street and black limousine
When I wake up it's not enough
Fifty-seven to fifty-eight or somewhere in-between
I wasn't invited but came just the same
And now the same privileges extended to you
I will be there, for sick and blame
Yeah I'll be there in China town falling down Grand Avenue
Oh I won't waste a way
I'm not the one who wanted to see it through another day

There is a sermon
Board of complaint
A congregation, sinner to saint
Where we are called, all called to forgive
The congregation's shouting
John Barleycorn must live
John Barleycorn must live
John Barleycorn must live

Oh I won't waste away
Everybody tells me that it couldn't end up any other way

There is a sermon
Board of complaint
A congregation, sinner to saint
Where we are called, all called to forgive
The congregation's shouting
John Barleycorn must live
John Barleycorn must live
John Barleycorn must live

Give me liberty or give me bread
I wasn't invited but came just the same
I leap, I land and gather what's left
I wasn't invited but came just the same
I wasn't invited but came just the same
I wasn't invited but came just the same
I wasn't invited but came just the same
I wasn't invited but came just the same

About “John Barleycorn Must Live” by The Minus 5

Read the complete lyrics to "John Barleycorn Must Live" by The Minus 5 from the album "Because We Hate You / Let the War Against Music Begin". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"John Barleycorn Must Live" is performed by The Minus 5. from the album "Because We Hate You / Let the War Against Music Begin" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "John Barleycorn Must Live", explore more songs by The Minus 5 using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for The Minus 5 · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"John Barleycorn Must Live" is credited to The Minus 5. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"John Barleycorn Must Live" appears on "Because We Hate You / Let the War Against Music Begin".

Visit the The Minus 5 artist page at /artist/the-minus-5 for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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