Traffic - John Barleycorn (must die)

[smartalek180]

HOVMM, you've done a brilliant job here; this is a little slice of heaven.

Thank you so much.

Oh, and your English is fine -- better than that of at least half of my friends (and all of us are monolingual -- can you refer to something as a "foreign language" if it's the only one you speak?). You have nothing for which to apologize.

[HOVMM]

@smartalek180 Thank you so much for this fine comment. I speak Dutch rather brilliantly, apart from that i speak German, English, French, understand sign language and morse code. In fact my comments embedded in the slices were more or less literally translations from a Dutch comment made by one of the producers of the television programm at the time.

[chiefbigwig1]

Well that was phenomenally good! Better than the album I say. This is a real gem of a recording. I love it. I saw them in 7/29/1994 and they were still superb. Thank you for posting this version of a fantastic group of musicians.

[wingseclipsed]

Musically and artistically, the Netherlands (and Germany to some extent) really nurtured music in the last decades.  It's something countries like the USA for example, could have done but greed is rife here. Thanks for the explanation!

[myepicmoustache]

I'm 37 and I grew up hearing this song played from albums in our house by my father. Incredible folk music not being made anymore. Its like an old antique that the craftmanship of modern times just isn't skilled enough to create anymore. At least I can still hear the original.

[LATiNAMAMi369]

my dad is in this video! lol

[RasAhmose]

Beauty. <3

[shivaillusions]

I think I'll just have another taste. John Barleycorn's not dead...

[USNSCCMIKE]

Thanks for giving me the possibilty of knowing of such events, and especially for the live recording. after so many I've listened this song, it's always a pleasure to listen for it.

[rahmenteil]

NO SABIA DE LA EXISTENCIA DE ESTA BANDA....! ESTABA MUERTO EN VIDA, PERO AHORA HE VUELTO A NACER.!!!!!

[illusion2k10]

My dad is of the 60s-70s generation, and I was born in 85. One of my earliest childhood memories is of him playing his guitar and singing this song and others when it was time to sleep, brings back a lot of good memories. thanks.

[durtieduck]

he's a great poet regaurdless of how you interpet it.

[juliamacadam]

It is about both bread and alcohol. There were laws to prevent the peasants

from using grains meant for bread to make it into alcohol. The nobility, of course, would have all the whiskey they wanted.

The original song was about how the peasants would always find a way to get their drink, regardless of the laws.

[lordrey3]

@juliamacadam well this is just brilliant, thanks for the explanation.

[molly3ish]

Its not about bread its about alcohol. The puritans tried to stop the barley from being brewed, but we all need alcohol - check out the last verse. Cut him down, bury him, burn him, we need him to grow for our pleasure.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!

[parsonsjessy]

just woundering if its about bread then why does john barleycorn prove the strongest man at last?

[CrawdaddyJoe]

Oh damn it all! I was raised with the other version ('There were three farmers in the north'), but I like the soulful potential in this one, especially since it's more suited to my playing style. Damn it, now I'm conflicted.

[rothwellss]

Great incite into a great time in music Thanks

[guyglowmore1]

precious

[hangemhigh2000]

ides of March  re-release on CD

[gilranadan]

Who cares what the song is about? It's great. Probably one of their best.

[jsmcguireIII]

Everything I've been able to read about this traditional folk song has made it clear that it is a revenge song. All the abuse heaped on Little Sir John is paid back by the dependence his assailants ultimately have on the distilled spirit.

There also an echo of christian persecution and the ultimate submission to the holy spirit - but that might be stretch.

I have recently learned this s ong and chords and will hold it in my small set of classic songs forever.

[MrVideogreg]

KUDOS, HOVMM! I'm greatfull for bits of music history. Even the word "Ampex" does warm my soul. Thanks

[Pranav9977]

sahi hai..

[sjbrightwell]

It's about bread, not brewing. There's little Sir John in the nut brown bowl and brandy in the glass. Why would they be drinking whiskey or beer if they've got brandy in their glasses? The bowl was how bread was served, in rough chunks or slices.

And I'm with treebord anyway, if it has any deeper meaning, it's about the Green Man and the Pagan Wheel of the Year.

[MrVideogreg]

@sjbrightwell I've heard many interpretations over many years. The character, John Barleycorn in the song is a personification of the important cereal crop barley AND of the alcoholic beverages made from it, beer and whisky. In the song, John Barleycorn is represented as suffering attacks, death and indignities that correspond to the various stages of barley cultivation, such as reaping and malting. Even the destruction of the crop for greed better land use (investment, income}. Just a thought.

[Profedrybicki]

@MrVideogreg ...except Winwood says "and he's brandy in the glass" - when brandy is made from grapes...no problem; I've always loved the song.

[grosx2]

@MrVideogreg

Thanks Wikipedia!

After hearing " many interpretations over many years," you come up with a verbatim rip from Wikipedia? Thanks for the "thought."

[filippolioy]

MCMLXX

JUL

17

Beergen An Zee

BRAVO

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@cjonezz1 YES, VERY OLD FOLK SONG, NOT ONLY DID TRAFFIC COVER IT, BUT JETHRO TULL DID AS WELL, A TIMELESS STORY ABOUT THE MAKING OF WHISKEY AND HOW PEOPLE CANNOT DO WITHOUT IT

[sjbrightwell]

@BLUESMANRONCHICAGO "Barleycorn" is about bread, not whiskey mate.

[Profedrybicki]

@sjbrightwell Nah, it's about "nut-brown ale": barley is used in beer brewing, remember??

[lolangford1]

@sjbrightwell Is about bread, saw them live & they explained it seeing as so many people believed it to be about Whiskey, Ale or Brandy; which ever way, the song is great!

[wyzrd777]

The term "corn" simply means grain.. it is not the American corn..barley is native to Europe...

[wakeoftheflood2]

@cjonezz1 It sounds like the seed (barley-corn) comes from the west (america) then they plant it and wait for the rains, then it comes up and they cut it down and so on and so on... 1600s would be when the english first started bringing corn back from the settlements in america, so that makes sense, too.

thanks, glad you like the name! I always thought that album was underrated. cant believe jerry's been gone 15 years this summer.

[wakeoftheflood2]

if anyone that has made beer before, and listens to the lyrics in that way, will know that this song is about brewing

[MrSkulleyes]

Capaldi & Winwood totally bring it.

awesome.

[buska100]

Great memories Great flute Wonderful Vocal Harmonies.

[HOVMM]

thank you

[iluvflagunlaws]

I know that's what the lyrics are clearly about, but you dont see more here?

[BeansFromMars]

This is about the seed that's brewed to whiskey. Nothing more, nothing less...

[jerste]

This is awesome and the presentation is great, thanks.

[BrianGodard]

My Lord, I adore FOLK-ROCK!!!

[treebord]

It's about the symbolism of the green man. The god who dies and is reborn

[Bfresh99]

It's about the drink.

[Idolcruisefix]

it's a secret song made long ago. it's about how some reap people like wheat. it's about a strange harvest. The most fertile is taken care of to produce the greatest bounty when gased. that is what it's about. the anthropomorphism of wheat is a cover. tricking billions by now.

[zakintha]

It's about beer, the brewing process, and man's thirst. Oh, and wheat's not mentioned, it's barley (there's a clue in the title).

[Obekant08]

Love it!

[bojanajuric1988]

love this song :D

[newspolicy]

...tanti ricordi, ahhh beata gioventù. Ho il disco dell'epoca - credo che il prezzo era 3500/4000 lire. Che dire io sono ancora lì...un sogno.

[greanteawoman]

Wonderful! Steve was still Stevie then - wow, what a rare masterpiece. Chris Wood's work in this recording is incredibly magical - thank you so much for posting. Love it!

[wolfjen57]

Very good. Love hearing bands like Traffic in different venues, European and foreign venues live, etc. Thanks much.

[blackdude57]

that hat in the front reminds me of jimi

[blackdude57]

THANK YOU FOR THE POST KEEP IN TOUCH

[vintagezigg]

This version is incredible! A Masterpiece !

[haryman222]

i agree. i never heard the windpipe like this before. it sounds better then the version used on their albums.

[dohertykaki]

Excellent!!!!! I've never heard this version. Great work!! K

[rotterdam1953]

My parents would never have allowed me to go there OR listen to this music on the radio. What a shame I missed history in the making. Thank you very much for putting this on YouTube :-)

[Trainspotter52]

Te mad, beminde vogels!

[strykermd1]

the greatest

[guyglowmore1]

wow that was special. rare. exquisite. chris feeling for the right notes as he was just learning his technique on this song. winwood and capaldi sure had great harmony and that guitar sounds so right. thanx

[duderoo1975]

For the past 18 years this has been my fav song, it just fills me with English folk and history added with the revolutionary 1960s, top song with added culture.

[Zepster77]

Incredible vocals/harmonies here! God bless Jim Capaldi & Stevie & the rest of the low sparked-high heeled boys!

[afrisbeetom]

the best 6 minutes 14 seconds of the day.

[HOVMM]

thank you; you made my day for at least 12 minutes and 28 seconds

[afrisbeetom]

close to happy hour? seeing double? (;;) no no no, please, allow me: thank you!

[tullcrazydave]

@afrisbeetom i would agree

[11thedogfather]

thanks for sharing

[martijnfilmkonijn]

Too bad the original Ampex videotapes were erased. Great concert though. Glad you and I have witnessed it together.