|
When John Henry was a little baby, sitting on his daddy's knee,
|
Pointed he figured out a little piece of steel,
|
"Steel's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, steel's gonna be the death of me,
|
Well, now steel's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, steel's gonna be the death of me"
|
|
John Henry told his captain one day,
|
"A man ain't nothin' but a man, before I will let you steam drill beat me down
|
Would die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, die with this hammer in my hand
|
I would die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, die with this hammer in my hand"
|
|
John Henry had a little woman, her name was Polly Ann,
|
John Henry got sick and had to go to bed
|
You know Polly, she drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord,
|
Polly, she drove steel like a man
|
How she drive?
|
|
John Henry drivin' on the right hand side
|
Steam drill drivin' on the left,
|
"Before I will let your steam drill beat me down
|
I will drive my poor self to death, Lord, Lord
|
Drive my poor self to death"
|
|
John Henry drove steel on the Southern
|
He drove steel on the C&O1
|
He drove steel for that Big Ben Tunnel2
|
Steel drivin' kill John you know
|
Steel drivin' kill John you know
|
Well, now steel drivin' kill John you know, Lord, Lord
|
Steel drivin' kill John you know
|
|
Some says John Henry was born in Texas
|
Some people thinks he was born in Maine
|
John Henry was born down in Tennessee
|
He was a leader of a steel-driving-gang, Lord, Lord
|
Leader of a steel-driving-gang,
|
Was a leader of a steel-driving-gang, Lord, Lord
|
Leader of a steel-driving-gang
|
|
Well, the captain loved to see John Henry
|
One of all loved to hear him sing,
|
but most of all that the paymaster loved
|
He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring
|
He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring
|
He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
|
Loved to get John Henry's hammer ring
|
|
They carried John Henry on the mountain, upon a mountain so high
|
Last words I heard that poor boy say:
|
"Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die
|
Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die
|
Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die"
|
|
Well, they carried John Henry's body to the White-house, and they laid it in the sand
|
Every time a locomotive follows go rollin' by, they say: "Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man
|
Well, now yonder lays a steel-drivin' man
|
They say yonder lays a steel-drivin' man
|
Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man"
|
|
|
|
-----------------
|
John Henry
|
| Sonny Terry |
