John Henry

Well, John Henry was a little baby

Sitting on his daddy's knee

He picked up a hammer and

A little piece of steel

And cried, "Hammer's going to

Be death of me, Lord, Lord

Hammer's going to be the death of me"



Now the captain he

Said to John Henry

"I'm going to bring that

Steam drill around

I'm going to bring that

Steam drill out on these tracks

I'm going to knock that

Steel on down, God, God

I'm going to knock that

Steel on down"



John Henry told his captain

"Lord, a man is nothing but a man

But before I let that steam drill

Beat me down

I'm going to die with a hammer

In my hand, Lord, Lord

I'll die with a hammer in my hand"



John Henry driving

On the right side

That steam drill driving

On the left

Says, "Before I let your

Steam drill beat me down

I'm going to hammer

Myself to death, Lord, Lord

I'll hammer my fool self to death"



Well captain said to John Henry

"What is that storm I hear?"

John Henry said, "That

Is no storm captain

That's just my hammer

In the air, Lord, Lord

That's just my hammer in the air"



John Henry said to his shaker

"Shaker, why don't you sing?

Because I'm swinging thirty pounds

From my hips on down

Yeah, listen to my cold steel

Ring, Lord Lord

Listen to my cold steel ring"



John Henry he hammered

In the mountains

His hammer was striking fire

But he worked so hard

It broke his heart

John Henry laid down his hammer

And died, Lord, Lord

John Henry laid down his hammer and died



Well, now John Henry

He had him a woman

By the name of Polly Ann

She walked out to those tracks

Picked up John Henry's hammer

Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord

Polly drove that steel like a man



Well every, every Monday morning

When a blue bird he began to sing

You could hear John Henry

From a mile or more

You could hear John Henry's hammer

Ring, Lord, Lord

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring



You can hear John Henry's hammer

Ring, Lord, Lord

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring