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There were three farmers in the north, as they were passing by they swore an oath so mighty oh that Barleycorn should die one of them said: drown him and the other sad: hang him high for whoever will stick to Barleycorn a-begging he will die they put poor Barley into a sack an a cold an rainy day and took him out to cornfields and buried him in the clay frost and snow began to melt and dew began to fall when Barleygrain put up his head and he soon surprised them all being in the summer season and the harvest coming on it's the time he stands up in the field with a beard like any man the reaper then came with his sickle and used me barberously he cut me in the middle so small and he cut me above the knee the next came was the binder and he looked at me with a frown for in the middle there was a thistle which pulled his courage down Songtextethe farmer came with his pitch fork and he pierced me to the heart like a thief, a rogue or a highwayman they tied me to the cart the thresher came with his big flail and soon he broke my bones could grieve the heart of any man to hear my sighs and moans the next thing that they've done to me they steeped me in the well they left me there for a day and night until I began to swell and next thing that they've done to me they dried me in a kiln they used me ten times worse, than that they ground me in the mill they used me in the kichen, they used me in the hall oh they used me in the parlour among the ladies all the Barleygrain is a comical grain, it makes men sigh and moan for when they drink a glass or two they forget their wives and home the drunkard is a dirty man, he used me worst of all he drank me up in his dirty mouth an he tumbled against the wall Aus Songtexte Mania