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 jo
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 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