John Henry Lyrics

The song John Henry is performed by Woody Guthrie in the album named Anthology in the year 2006 .



John Henry, when he was a baby
Settin' on his mammy's knee
Picked up an hammer in his little right hand
Said, "Hammer be the death of me, me, me
Hammer be the death of me"

Some say he's born in Texas
Some say he's born up in Maine
I just say he was a Louisiana man
Leader of a steel-driving chain gang
Leader on a steel-driving gang

Well, the Captain said to John Henry
"I'm gonna bring my steam drill around
Gonna bring my steam drill out on the job
Gonna whup that steel on down, down, down
Whup that steel on down"

John Henry said to the Captain
(What he say?)
"You can bring your steam drill around
You can bring your steam drill out on the job
I'll beat your steam drill down, down, down
Beat your steam drill down"

John Henry said to his Shaker
"Shaker, you had better pray
If you miss your six feet of steel
I'll be your buryin' day, day, day
I'll be your buryin' day"

Now, the Shaker said to John Henry
(Yes sir)
"Man ain't nothing but a man
(No he ain't)
But before I'd let that steam drill beat me down
(I believe him)
I'd die with an hammer in my hand, hand, hand
(I believe him)
I'd die with an hammer in my hand"

John Henry had a little woman
Her name was Polly Anne
John Henry took sick and was laid up in bed
While Polly handled steel like a man, man, man
Polly handled steel like a man

They took John Henry to the graveyard
Laid him down in the sand
Every locomotive comin' a-rolling by
Hollered, there lies a steel-drivin' man, man, man
There lies a steel-drivin' man
There lies a steel-drivin' man, man, man
There lies a steel-drivin' man



Woody Guthrie - Anthology

Nov 2006

  1. A Dollar Down
  2. Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way
  3. Bad Lee Brown
  4. Blowing Down The Road
  5. Boll Weevil Blues
  6. Brown Eyes
  7. Bury Me Beneath The Willow
  8. Columbus Stockade
  9. Cumberland Gap
  10. Ezekiel Saw The Wheel
  11. Get Along Little Doggies
  12. Hang Knot
  13. Hey Lolly Lolly
  14. Howjadoo
  15. Jack Hammer Blues
  16. John Henry
  17. Johnny Hard
  18. Lonesome Day
  19. Lost John
  20. More Pretty Girls Than One
  21. Old Time Religion
  22. Ride Old Paint
  23. Skip To My Lou
  24. Sourwood Mountain
  25. Springfield Mountain
  26. Struggle Blues
  27. Great Dust Storm
  28. Golden Vanity
  29. Dying Miner
  30. Tom Joad Blues Pt. 1
  31. Tom Joad Blues Pt. 2
  32. Union Burying Ground
  33. Waiting At The Gate
  34. We Shall Be Free
  35. What Did The Deep Sea Say?
  36. Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Feet?
  37. Whoopie Tii Yi Yo, Get Along Little Doggies
  38. Will You Miss Me?

John Henry