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Well, John Henry was a little baby |
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Sittin' on his dady's knee |
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He pick up a hammer and a little piece of steel, |
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And cried, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord |
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Hammer's gonna be the death of me" |
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Now the captain he said to John Henry, |
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"I'm gonna bring that steam drill 'round |
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I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks |
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I'm gonna knock that steel on down, God, God |
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I'm Gonna knock that steel on down" |
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John Henry told his captain, |
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"Lord, man ain't nothin' but a man |
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Before I let that steam drill beat me down |
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I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord |
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Die with a hammer in my hand" |
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John Henry driving on the right side |
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That steam drill driving on the left |
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Says, "Before I'll let your steam drill beat me down |
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I'm gonna hammer myself to death, Lord, Lord |
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I'll hammer my fool self to death" |
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Well, Captain said to John Henry, |
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"What is that storm I hear?" |
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John Henry said, "That ain't no storm |
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Captain, that's just my hammer in the air, Lord, Lord |
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That's just my hammer in the air" |
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John Henry said to his shaker |
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"Shaker, why don't you sing? |
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'Cause I'm swigin' thirty pounds from my hips on down |
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Yeah, listen to my cold steel ring, Lord, Lord |
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Listen to my cold steel ring" |
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That John Henry, he hammered in the mountains |
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His hammer was striking fire |
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But he worked so hard, he broke his heart |
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John Henry and his hammer had died, Lord, Lord |
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John Henry laid down his hammer and died |
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Well, now John Henry, he had him a woman |
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By name of Polly Ann |
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She walked down to those tracks, picked up John Henry's hammer |
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Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord |
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Polly drove that steel like a man |
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Well every, every Monday morning |
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When the bluebird, he began to sing |
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You can hear John Henry from a mile or more |
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You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord |
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You can hear John Henry's hammer ring |
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I say you can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord |
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You can hear John Henry's hammer ring |
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Come on! Woah! |
