John Henry (traditional)

John Henry was about three days old,
sittin' on his mammy's knee.
Well he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel;
Said, "It's gonna be the death of me,
Well, it's gonna be the death of me."

The captain said to John Henry
"I'm gonna bring my steam drill around.
Gonna bring my steam drill out on the job.
I'm gonna whop that steel on down, Lord, Lord.
Whop that steel on down."

John Henry said to his bossman,
He said, "A man ain't nothin' but a man,
But before I'd let your steam drill beat me down,
I'd die with this hammer in my hand.
Well, I'd die with this hammer in my hand."

John Henry said to his shaker,
He said, "Shaker, why don't you sing?
You know I'm swingin' nine pounds from my hips on down.
Won't you listen to that cold steel ring.
Just you listen to that cold steel ring."

John Henry said to his shaker,
He said, "Shaker, why don't you pray?
You know that if my hammer misses that little piece of steel
Then tomorrow'll be a burying day,
Tomorrow'll be a burying day."

Well, the captain said to John Henry,
"My Lord, I b'lieve this mountain's sinking in
John Henry laughed at his captain and he said,
"It ain't nothing but my hammer'll sucking win,
It ain't nothing but my hammer'll sucking win."

Well, John Henry said to the captain,
"Well, look yonder, what I see
Your hole done choke, your drill done broke
And you can't drive steel like me
Well, you can't drive steel like me."

Well, the man who invented that steam drill
He thought he was mighty fine,
But John Henry drove down forty feet;
And the steam drill only made nine.
The steam drill only made nine.

Well John Henry hammered that morning
Until his hammer was striking fire.
And he worked so hard, that he broke his poor heart.
And laid down his hammer and he died.
And he laid down his hammer and he died.

Well they took John Henry to the graveyard
And they buried him in the sand
And every local mourner comes a-rollin by and said,
"There lays a steel-driving man,
Well there lays a steel-driving man."

He was a steel-driving man,
He was a steel-driving man.

John Henry had a little woman.
Her name was Polly Ann.
John Henry took sick and went to his bed.
Polly Ann drove steel like a man. Lord, Lord.
Polly Ann drove steel like a man.

John Henry had a little baby.
You could hold him in the palm of your hand.
The last words I heard that poor boy say,
"My daddy was steel-driving man. Lord, Lord.
My daddy was a steel-driving."

Well, every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing.
You can hear John Henry a mile or more.
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring. Lord, Lord.
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring.