Legend of John Henry's Hammer

John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight He said, "'Fore the sheriff comes I wanna tell you, listen boy" Said, "Learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track Learn to pick and shovel too and take my hammer It'll do anything you tell it to" John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money He said, "I'll pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrow That's the pay for a steel driver on this line" Then the section foreman said, "Hey, hammer swinger I see you brought your own hammer boy But what else can all those muscles do And he said, "I can turn a jack, I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too" Can you swing a hammer boy? Yes sir, I'll do anything, you hire me to Now ain't you somethin' So high and mighty wif your muscles Just go ahead, boy and pick up that hammer Pick up the hammer He said, "Get a rusty spike and swing it down three times I'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it to Go on and do what you say you can do" With a steep nose hammer on a four foot switch handle John Henry raised it back 'til it touched his heels then The spike went through the cross tie and it split it half in two Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel Sweat, sweat boy, sweat, you owe me two more swings I was born for driven steel Well John Henry hammered in the mountain He'd give a grunt, he'd give a groan with every swing The women folks for miles around heard him and come down To watch him make the cold steel ring, Lord what a swinger Just listen to that cold steel ring But the bad boss come up laughin' at John Henry Said, "You full of vinegar now, but you about through We gonna get a steam drill to do your share of drivin' Then what's all them muscles gonna do? Huh, John Henry? Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you" John Henry said, "I feed four little brothers And baby sister's walkin' on her knees Did the Lord say that machines oughtta take the place of livin'? And what's a substitute for bread and beans? I ain't seen it Do engines get rewarded for their steam?" John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell The mine boss hollered, "Get up, whoever you are, and get a pick axe Give me enough coal to start another hell and keep it burnin' Mine me enough to start another hell" John Henry said to his captain," A man ain't nothin' but a man But if you'll bring that steam drill round, I'll beat it fair and honest I'll die with my hammer in my hand but I'll be laughin' 'Cuz you can't replace a steel drivin' man" There was a big crowd of people at the mountain John Henry said to the steam drill, "How is you? Pardon me mister steam drill, I suppose you didn't hear me" I said, "How're you?" Well can you turn a jack, can you lay a track Can you pick and shovel too? Listen, this hammer swinger's talkin' to you Two thousand people hollered, "Go, John Henry" Then somebody hollered, "The mountain's caving in" John Henry told the captain, "Tell the kind folks don't worry That ain't nothin' but my hammer s*ckin' wind, it keeps me breathin' A steel driver's muscle I intend" Captain, tell the people, move back further I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill It's so far behind but yet ain't got the brains to quit it When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills, Lord lordy When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills Well John Henry had a little woman I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann Yeah that was his good woman John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home He laid down to rest his weary back and early next mornin' He said, "Come here Polly Ann, come here sugar Ya know, I believe this is the first time I ever watched The sun come up that I couldn't come up" "Take my hammer, Polly Ann and go to that railroad Swing that hammer like you seen me do it And when you're swingin' with the lead man They'll all know, they'll all know you're John Henry's woman But, but tell them ain't all you can do" "Tell 'em I can hoist a jack, and I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too, ain't no machine can That's been proved to you" There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house The section hands laid him in the sand Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid They slow down and take off their hats, the men do When they come to the place where John Henry's layin' Restin' his back, some of 'em say, "Mornin', steel driver You sure was a hammer swinger" Then they go on by, pickin' up a little speed Clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh, Lord Yonder lies a steel drivin' man Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh, Lord Yonder lies a steel drivin' man Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh, Lord Yonder lies a steel drivin' man