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John Henry was a li'l baby, uh-huh, |
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Sittin' on his mama's knee, oh, yeah, |
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Said: "De Big Bend Tunnel on de C & O road |
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Gonna cause de death of me, |
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Lawd, Lawd. Gonna cause de death of me. |
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John Henry, he had a woman, |
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Her name was Mary Magdalene, |
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She would go to de tunnel and sing for John, |
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Jes' to hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lawd, Lawd, |
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Jes' to hear John Henry's hammer ring. |
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John Henry had a li'l woman, |
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Her name was Lucy Ann, |
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John Henry took sick an' had to go to bed, |
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Lucy Ann drove steel like a man, |
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Lawd, Lawd, Lucy Ann drove steel like a man. |
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Cap'n says to John Henry, |
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Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round, |
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Gonna take dat steam drill out on de job, |
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Gonna whop dat steel on down, Lawd, Lawd, |
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Gonna whop dat steel on down. |
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John Henry tol' his cap'n, |
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Lightnin' was in his eye; |
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Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me, |
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Fo' I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die, Lawd, Lawd, |
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I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die." |
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Sun shine hot an' burnin', |
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Wer'n't no breeze a-tall, |
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Sweat ran down like water down a hill, |
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Dat day John Henry let his hammer fall, |
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Lawd, Lawd, dat day John Henry let his hammer fall. |
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John Henry went to de tunnel, |
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An' dey put him in de lead to drive, |
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De rock so tall an' John Henry so small, |
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Dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried, |
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Lawd, Lawd, dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried. |
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John Henry started out on de right hand, |
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De steam drill started on de lef'--- |
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"Before I 'd let dis steam drill beat me down, |
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I'd hammer my fool self to death, |
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Lawd, Lawd, I'd hammer my fool self to death." |
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White man tol' John Henry, |
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"Nigger, damn yo' soul, |
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You might beat dis steam an' dr;ll of mine, |
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When de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol', |
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Lawd, Lawd, when de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol'. |
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John Henry said to his shaker, |
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"Nigger, why don' you sing? |
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I'm throwin' twelve poun's from my hips on down, |
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Jes' listen to de col' steel ring, |
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Lawd, Lawd, Jes' listen to de col' steel ring." |
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Oh, de captain said to John Henry, |
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"I b'lieve this mountain's sinkin' in, |
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John Henry said to his captain, oh my! |
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"Ain' nothin' but my hammer suckin' win', |
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Lawd, Lawd, ain' nothln' but my hammer suckin' win." |
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John Henry tol' his shaker, |
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Shaker, you better pray, |
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For if I miss dis six-foot steel, |
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Tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day, |
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Lawd, Lawd, tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day." |
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John Henry tol' his captain, |
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"Looka yonder what l see --- |
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Yo' drill's done broke an' yo' hole's done choke, |
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An' you cain' drive steel like me, |
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Lawd, Lawd, an' you cain' drive steel like me." |
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De man dat invented de steam drill, |
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Thought he was mighty fine. |
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John Henry drove his fifteen feet, |
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An' de steam drill only made nine, |
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Lawd, Lawd, an' de steam drill only made nine. |
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De hammer dat John Henry swung', |
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It weighed over nine pound ; |
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He broke a rib in his lef'-han' side, |
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An' his intrels fell on de groun', |
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Lawd, Lawd, an' his intrels fell on de groun'. |
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John Henry was hammerin' on de mountain, |
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An' his hammer was strikin' fire, |
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He drove so hard till he broke his pore heart, |
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An' he lied down his hammer an' he died, |
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Lawd, Lawd, he lied down his hammer an' he died. |
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All de womens in de wes', |
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When dey heared of John Henry's death, |
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Stood in de rain, flagged de eas'-boun' train, |
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Goin' where John Henry fell dead, |
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Lawd, Lawd, goin' where John Henry fell dead. |
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John Henry's lil mother, |
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She was all dressed in red, |
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She jumped in bed, covered up her head, |
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Said she didn' know her son was dead, |
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Lawd, Lawd, didn' know her son was dead. |
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John Henry had a pretty lil woman, |
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An' de dress she wo' was blue, |
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An' de las' wards she said to him: |
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"John Henry, I've been true to you, |
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Lawd, Lawd, John Henry I've been true to you." |
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"Oh, who's gonna shoe yo' lil feetses, |
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An' who's gonna glub yo' han's, |
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An' who'g gonna kiss yo' rosy, rosy lips, |
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An' who's gonna be yo' man, |
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Lawd, Lawd, an' who's gonna be yo' man?" |
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Dey took John Henry to de graveyard, |
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An' dey buried him in de san', |
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An' every locomotive come roarin' by, |
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Says, "Dere lays a steel-drivin' man, |
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Lawd, Lawd, dere lays a steel-drivin' man." |
