A. A.'s John Barleycorn Who is John Barleycorn or to what does the name refer? It is mentioned many times in various locations in A.A. Literature. John Barleycorn is an autobiographical novel by Jack London dealing with his enjoyment of drinking and struggles with alcoholism. It was published in 1913. The title of his novel is taken from the Btitish folk song called "John Barleycorn." The character of 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 represents, suffering attacks, death and indignities that correspond to the various stages of barley cultivation, such as the growth, cutting and distilling the crop. There are many different versions of the song and the content can vary considerably. An early English quote of the ballad is below. "There was three men come out of the west, their fortunes for to try, And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn must die. They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in, throwed clods upon his head. Til these three men were satisfied, John Barleycorn was dead." Around the time of the writing of much of A.A.'s Literature, the term John Barleycorn had come to be used as a euphemism for "Alcohol or Alcoholism."

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