John Barleycorn is a hero bold

AKA	John Barleycorn Hey John Barleycorn
First published	1860

Lyrics

JB Geoghegan

Music

JB Geoghegan/John Blockley

Roud

RN2141

John Barleycorn is an hero bold as any in the land,
For ages good his fame has stood and will for ages stand.
The whole wide world respect him no matter friend or foe,
And where they be that makes too free he's sure to lay them low.

Hey, John Barleycorn, ho, John Barleycorn,
Old and young thy praise have sung, John Barleycorn.

To see him in his pride of growth his robes are rich and green,
His head is speared with prickly beard fit nigh to serve the Queen.
And when the reaping time comes round and John is stricken down,
He yields his blood for England's good and Englishmen's renown.

The Lord in courtly castle and the Squire in stately hall,
The great of name in birth and fame on John for succour call.
He bids the troubled heart rejoice, gives warmth to Nature's cold
Makes weak men strong and old ones young and all men brave and bold.

Then shout for great John Barleycorn nor heed the luscious vine,
I have no mind much charm to find in potent draught of wine.
Give me my native nut-brown ale, all other drinks I'll scorn
For true English cheer is English beer, our own John Barleycorn.

John Barleycorn (RN164) is one of the most popular English/Scottish folksongs, telling the gruesome story of its hero: killed, buried, cut up, skinned and eventually turned into beer…. John Barleycorn is a Hero Bold is perhaps less well-known but it is another song in praise of the plant that gives us beer.

According to the British Library catalogue, John Barleycorn is a Hero Bold was published in 1860, written and composed by JB Geoghegan with symphonies and accompaniments by John Blockley . It has been collected from source singers a number of times in England, mostly by collectors operating in the second half of the 20th century. There is a good summary of modern folk versions at Mainly Norfolk.

Searching The Era reveals that the character of Barleycorn makes frequent appearances in Christmas pantomime in the 2nd half of the 19th century, and that a song called “John Barleycorn” was extremely popular in the 1860s, but not before or after, being sung by a variety of artists in a number of venues (see list below if interested!) I would take this as strong circumstantial evidence that Geoghegan’s Barleycorn song, was fairly widely sung in the Halls in the decade after it was written.

The song seems not to have been referred to again in The Era until Nov 28 1885 when Elliott and Renton advertise “Great success of new song” “Old John Barleycorn”, whilst appearing at the Gaiety Halifax. Perhaps another different song??

In the USA, de Marsan’s Singers Journal ( Vol 1, No. 34, p236) gives the words above, with the note: “As sung by Frank van Hess“. My calculations imply that this would have been published between October 1869- Jan 1870, so the song was already known in America by the end of 1869, giving further evidence that it was a popular song in the 1860s.

Sources:

• Folksong a week
• Mudcat thread
• Pete Wood’s Mustrad article on the older song
• MainlyNorfolk on the folk versions
• British Library catalogue entry
• Henry de Marsan’s Singers Journal (Vol 1, No. 34, p236)

Performers of a song called John Barleycorn from The Era in the 1860s (date published):

• Mr Howard Harris  at London’s Canterbury Hall (Oct 20 1861)
• Mr R Hyams   at London’s Wilton’s Music Hall (Nov 20 1864),
• Mr Edmund Rosenthal   at Hull’s Theatre Royal (2 Sep 1866 in play Martha)
• Mr R Green at the opening of the Royal Maison Doree, Camden Town (Dec 15 1867)
• Mr Glover at The Midland, Leicester ( Aug 23 1868)
• Mr Saunders at Star Music Hall Liverpool  (Nov 27 1868).

Jack Rutter sings at the Royal Dungworth

Last Updated on June 5, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: February 23, 2020