“Before there were many, there were few” - So starts the chapter about Stone Breath in Jeanette Leech’s book, “Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk” - and so it was back in 1995 when Stone Breath started. The 1960s had come and gone (the revival of the 60s and 70s folk bands was yet to come), the post-industrial scene’s flirtation with folk music had swayed to neo-classical or art-song, and the modern psychedelic scene was far more interested in Krautrock’s burning electricity than it was in acoustic instruments. Stone Breath, however, remained firmly rooted in folk music.
Wood, skin, bone, bronze, steel, gut. These are the materials of acoustic instruments. Materials of the earth. Stone Breath wanted to make earth music. Timeless music. Music that could be made without electricity. Music that could be played in field or forest (or even in lonely graveyards as was the case in the early days of the band). Stone Breath have held true to this vision over 9 albums, several eps, various compilation appearances, and almost 20 years.
Having remained a three-piece for most of the band’s life, recent years have seen the core band adding more members. The sound has moved gradually from sparse Syd Barrett meets Nick Drake ghost-songs to a much fuller sound - often incorporating layers of vocal harmonies and intricate instrumentation ranging from guitar and banjo to Middle Eastern instruments to homemade lyres, dulcitars, and more.
Members of Stone Breath backed Tom Rapp (of 60s/70s acid folk touchstone, Pearls Before Swine) for most of his comeback shows and recorded with Tom on his “Journal of the Plague Year” album. Stone Breath played most of the legendary Terrastock festivals sharing the bill with such acts as Tom Rapp, Country Joe, Sonic Youth, Acid Mothers Temple, The Bevis Frond, Kendra Smith, and many more. In 2001, Stone Breath conceived and helped organize The Poor Minstrels of Song and the Temple of the Moon tour - a traveling festival of acid/psychedelic/experimental acoustic music.
After initially splitting in 2006, the band reformed in 2009, releasing several new albums and performing live.
John Barleycorn
Stone Breath Lyrics
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And these three men made a solemn vow: John Barleycorn must die
They plowed, they sowed, they hoed him in, threw clods upon his head
And these three men made a solemn vow: John Barleycorn was dead
They let him lie for a very long time until the rain from heaven did fall
But little Sir John sprung up his head and so amazed them all
They let him stand 'til midsummer's day, until he looked so pale and wan
But little Sir John he grew a long beard and so became a man
They rolled him up, tied him around the waist and served him barbarously
They hired men with strong pitchforks to pierce him through the heart
But the loader he served him worst than that for he bound him to the cart
They pulled him around and around in the fields 'til they came into the barn
Then these three men made a solemn vow on poor John Barleycorn
They hired men with crabtree sticks to slice him skin from bones,
but the miller served him worst of all for he ground him between two stones
It's a little Sir John in a nut brown bowl and a brandy in the glass
But little Sir John in the nut brown bowl proved the strongest man at last
For the hunter he can't hunt the fox nor loudly blow his horn
And the tinker he can't mend his pots without a little Sir Barleycorn
The song John Barleycorn by Stone Breath is a traditional English folk song that tells the story of John Barleycorn, a personification of barley and its transformation into beer and whiskey. The song opens with three men who make a vow to kill John Barleycorn, and proceed to plow, sow, and hoe him in, throwing clods upon his head. They then let Barleycorn lie until the rain from heaven replenishes him, causing him to spring up from the earth, much to the amazement of those who thought he was dead. As the season progresses, John Barleycorn grows into a strong man, but the men who originally vowed to kill him hire others to cut him off at the knee, tie him to a cart and slice his skin and grind him between two stones.
The song is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of agriculture, as Barleycorn represents the grain that is grown and harvested, made into alcohol, and then consumed, only to be renewed again in the process. The violent imagery of the song may also be interpreted as a warning about the dangers of overindulgence and addiction, as well as the destructive nature of humanity's relationship with nature.
Line by Line Meaning
O there were three men who arrived from the West, seeking to test their fortunes.
These men made a vow to put an end to John Barleycorn's life.
They plowed, sowed, and hoed him in, burying him under clumps of earth.
With a solemn oath, they declared that John Barleycorn was now deceased.
They left him alone for a long while, until rain from the heavens allowed him to sprout anew.
Little Sir John, sprouted up tall and surprised the three men.
They allowed John to remain until the middle of the summer when his appearance became weak and frail.
At this time, Little Sir John grew a beard and transformed into a man.
They hired men with sharp scythes to chop him at the kneecap.
John was bound and tortured with barbaric methods, including being rolled and whipped by sharp pitchforks.
The loader, however, treated him the cruelest, by dragging him behind the cart.
He was repeatedly pulled around the barn, while the three men made a vow on John Barleycorn's life.
They employed men with crabtree sticks, intent on peeling his skin from his bones.
The miller inflicted the worst pain of all, crushing John between two stones.
Yet Little Sir John is still standing—not in a field or a cart, but in a nut brown bowl, soaking in brandy.
Despite all the preceding efforts, Little Sir John has arisen victorious, defeated merely by the strongest of men.
Without a swig of Sir Barleycorn, the hunter and tinker are powerless—for the alcoholic brew pervades all aspects of their lives.
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.