John Henry
(Traditional)
Performer(s): Pete Seeger



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 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