Does anyone know of sheet music online for The Ploughman and the Furrow - the first track of Last Night's Fun's album Dubh? The lyrics are a John Barleycorn poem by George Mackay Brown, the text of which doesn't seem to be online but is something like:

As I was ploughing in my field
The hungriest furrow ever torn
Followed my plough and she did cry
"Have you seen my mate John Barleycorn?"
Says I "Has he got a yellow beard?
Is he always whispering night and morn?
Does he up and dance when the wind is high?"
Says she "That's my John Barleycorn.
One day they took a cruel knife-
Oh I am weary and forlorn!
They struck him at his golden prayer!
They killed my priest, John Barleycorn.
They laid him on a wooden cart,
of all his summer-glory shorn,
and threshers broke with stick and stave
the shining bones of Barleycorn.
The miller's stone went round and round,
they rolled him underneath with scorn;
the miller filled a hundred sacks
with the crushed pride of Barleycorn.
A baker came and bought his dust-
that was a madman I'll be sworn!
He burned my hero in a rage of twisting flames
John Barleycorn.
A brewer came by a stole his heart-
alas that ever I was born!
He thrust it in a brimming vat
and drowned my dear John Barleycorn.
And now I travel narrow roads,
my hungry feet are dark and worn,
but no-one in this winter world
has seen my dancer, Barleycorn."
I took a bannet from my bag-
Lord how our empty mouths did yawn!
Says I "Your starving days are done
for here's your lost John Barleycorn."
I took a bottle from my pouch,
I poured out whiskey in a horn.
Says I "Put by your grief, for here
is the merry blood of Barleycorn."
She ate, she drank, she laughed, she danced,
and home with me she did return.
By candle-light in my ingle-nook
she wept no more for Barleycorn.

Hi Tzirtzi

There is a review of the album here: http://www.netrhythms.co.uk/reviewsl.html
It says the tune is a slow air called Roisin Dubh. I don't know the album, but it might be a help.

Thanks
Leo

Thanks Leo, that's a good step forward in my research

So far I've now found sheet music for 3 different tunes entitled Roisin Dubh, none of which are the tune of the Ploughman and the Furrow - but I have high hopes yet!