John Henry when he was a baby
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settin' on his mammy's knee
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picked up an hammer in his little right hand
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Said "Hammer be the death of me me me,
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hammer be the death of me!"
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Some say he's born in Texas
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Some say he's born up in Maine
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I just say he was a Louisiana man
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Leader of a steel-driving chain gang
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leader on a steel-driving gang
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"Well", the captain said to John Henry
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"I'm gonna bring my steam drill around
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gonna whup that steel on down down down
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whup that steel on down!"
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John Henry said to the captain (what he say?)
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"You can bring your steam drill around
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gonna bring my steam drill out on the job
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I'll beat your steam drill down down down
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beat your steam drill down!"
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John Henry said to his Shaker
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"Shaker you had better pray
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If you miss your six feet of steel
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It'll be your buryin' day day day
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It'll be your buryin' day!"
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Now the Shaker said to John Henry
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"Man ain't nothing but a man
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but before I'd let that steam drill beat me down
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I'd die with an hammer in my hand hand hand
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I'd die with an hammer in my hand!"
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John Henry had a little woman
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Her name was Polly Anne
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John Henry took sick and was laid up in bed
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While Polly handled steel like a man man man
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Polly handled steel like a man.
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They took John Henry to the graveyard
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laid him down in the sand
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Every locomotive comin' a-rolling by by by
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hollered "there lies a steel-drivin' man man man
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there lies a steel-drivin' man!"
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-----------------
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John Henry
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| Woody Guthrie |
