John Henry Lyrics

John Henry was about three days old,
sittin' on his papa's knee.
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel;
said, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord.
Hammer's gonna be the death of me."
The captain said to John Henry
"Gonna bring that steam drill 'round.
Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job.
Gonna whop that steel on down. Down,
Down.
Whop that steel on down."
John Henry told his captain,
"A man ain't nothin' but a man,
But before I let your steam drill beat me
down,
I'd die with a hammer in my hand. Lord,
Lord.
I'd dies with a hammer in my hand."
John Henry said to his shaker,
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
I'm throwin' thirty pounds from my hips on
down.
Just listen to that cold steel ring. Lord, Lord.
Listen to that cold steel ring."
The man that invented the stream drill
Thought he was mighty fine,
But John Henry made fifteen feet;
The steam drill only made nine. Lord, Lord.
The steam drill only made nine.
John Henry hammered in the mountain
His hammer was striking fire.
But he worked so hard, he broke his poor
heart.
He laid down his hammer and he died. Lord,
Lord.
He laid down his hammer and he died.
John Henry had a little woman.
Her name was Polly Ann.
John Henry took sickand 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.

Pete Seeger - American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1

Jun 2002

1. John Henry
2. Shenandoah
3. Blue Tailed Fly (Jimmie Crack Corn)
4. Black Girl
5. The Big Rock Candy Mountain
6. Clementine
7. Home On The Range
8. John Brown's Body
9. Goodnight, Irene
10. Swing Low, Sweet chariot
11. Oh, Susanna
12. Wayfaring Stranger
13. Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep
14. Down In The Valley
15. The Wabash Cannonball
16. On Top Of Old Smoky
17. Frankie And Johnny
18. I Ride An Old Paint
19. The Wreck Of The Old 97
20. Wagoner's Lad
21. Old Dan Tucker
22. I've Been Working
23. Cielito Lindo
24. So Long, It's Been Good to Know You (Dusty Old Dust)
25. America The Beautiful
26. Skip to My Lou
27. Yankee Doodle
28. I've Been Working on the Railroad
29. This Land is Your Land