I first heard "Juice of the Barley" on a Clancy Brothers recording. The version I sing is taken from Soodlum's 100 Irish Ballads Volume 2. The song is just one more glorification of all things alcoholic and its enjoyment by the pillars of society, namely those ultimate paragons, the midwifes, school masters and priests. The moral being, I suppose, that if these dignified worthies can get as drunk as the proverbial lords then why not a humble fellow such as myself.

Lyrics