D:          XX0232
Am:         X02210
C:          X32010
C/E:        032010
C/B:        022010
G:          32000X  (omitting the e string)
Asus2:      X02200
Esus4:      022200  (formed by depressing 1st on A with 2nd finger on D&G)
E7:         020100
B7sus4:     020200



[Intro]
Asus2 (arpeggiated strum down and up)
|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                               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 1]
|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/E   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 these three men made a solemn oath,
   D         C  G   Am Asus2 Am
On poor John Barleycorn.


[Instrumental 2]
|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 3]
        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 3]
       C      C  C/B       Am
They've hired men with the sharp pitchforks,
    C           D      Esus4    E7  E7sus4 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 3]
|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 4]
       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 barn.
    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 4]
       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 4]
|D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2|
|D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2|
|D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2|(Mmm oooh)
|D C G Am Asus2 Am Asus2|(Who oooh)


[Verse 5]
     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.


[Chorus 5 & Coda]
    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  (Slowed tempo, arpeggio and fade, on last line)
Without a little Barleycorn.