I'm The Ghost Of That Good Man John Barleycorn
By: Earl Smith, George A. Little

Written by: Earl Smith, George A. Little

 
Lyrics:
I'm The Ghost Of That Good Man John Barleycorn [Version (a)]:

I had a dream the other night
I'll tell the world it was a fright
I had a sort of conversation with a ghost to his delight
He said "I've come back to say
They thought they buried me to stay
In 1916 deep in a grave green
But listen to me while I say:

I'm the ghost of that good man John Barleycorn
In the days of ancient history I was born
Now rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief
I brought them joy that turned into grief
Hip! Sip! Hip! Sip!
Ah that's the time they start to slip
Then with my well-known kick I knock 'em out
They'd wake up with a brown taste in their mouth

Now in my dream it seems I said
"Say please, don't hang around my bed
Because I know your reputation; of your capers I have read"
He said "I break up many homes
And poets knock me in their poems
But like a villian I'm always willin'
To whip a Smith, a Brown, or Jones"

I'm the ghost of that good man John Barleycorn
In the days of ancient history I was born
Now rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief
I brought them joy that turned into grief
Hip! Sip! Hip! Sip!
Ah that's the time they start to slip
Then with my well-known kick I knock 'em out
They'd wake up with a brown taste in their mouth

Now Mister Volstead on me hung a crepe
But while there's still a "still", my spirit's great
For I'm the ghost of that good man John Barleycorn
I'm the corn
 
The Song:

In order for it to feel more authentic, Beck filled out his Song Reader book with fragments of songs and melodies, as well as fictional album collections and made-up song titles. "I'm The Ghost Of That Good Man John Barleycorn" is listed as part of the album, Hymns For Him.

Most of the song titles on Hymns are references to older sheet music/songs. This one is an old song from 1922, and I think it is about Irish ghost whiskey.