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John Barleycorn (Must Die) Lyrics by Traffic

Gold

1970

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've ploughed, they've sown, they've harrowed him in
Threw clods upon his head
And these three men made a solemn vow:
John Barleycorn was dead
They've let him lie for a very long time
Till the rains from heaven did fall
And little Sir John sprung up his head
And so amazed them all
They've let him stand till Midsummer's Day
Till he looked both pale and wan
And little Sir John's grown a long, long beard
And so become a man
They've hired men with the scythes so sharp
To cut him off at the knee
They've rolled him and tied him by the way
Serving him most barbarously
They've hired men with the sharp pitchforks
Who pricked him to the heart
And the loader he has served him worse than that
For he's bound him to the cart
They've wheeled him around and around the field
Till they came unto a barn
And there they made a solemn oath
On poor John Barleycorn
They've hired men with the crab-tree sticks
To cut him skin from bone
And the miller he has served him worse than that
For he's ground him between two stones
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl
And his brandy in the glass;
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl
Proved the strongest man at last
The huntsman, he can't hunt the fox
Nor so loudly to blow his horn
And the tinker he can't mend kettle nor pot
Without a little Barleycorn
Credits
Traffic

Traffic

About “John Barleycorn (Must Die)” by Traffic

Read the complete lyrics to "John Barleycorn (Must Die)" by Traffic from the album "Gold" in 1970. 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 Murder Ballad, Progressive Rock, Folk Rock.

"John Barleycorn (Must Die)" is performed by Traffic. from the album "Gold" in 1970 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 Die)", explore more songs by Traffic 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.

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Frequently asked questions

"John Barleycorn (Must Die)" is credited to Traffic. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"John Barleycorn (Must Die)" appears on "Gold" in 1970.

Visit the Traffic artist page at /artist/traffic for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.