John Barleycorn

John Barleycorn

John Barleycorn is a fun old story from England and Scotland. It is a folk song that tells about a friendly character named John Barleycorn. John stands for the plant barley and the beer made from it.

The song shows how barley grows. It starts when the seed is planted and ends when the barley becomes beer. People have enjoyed this song for many years. It began in old Scottish folklore and was written down a long time ago.

The famous poet Robert Burns wrote his own version of the song in 1782. His version helped make the song very popular. Many singers love to perform John Barleycorn today. The story of John Barleycorn is still enjoyed by people all over the world.

Some places even name their pubs "John Barleycorn," remembering this cheerful old song.