Now, when John Henry was just a little bitty boy
Went to put his papa to town
"Daddy, I want you to buy me a twelve-pound hammer
I want to beat a steam drill down
Daddy, I want to beat a steam drill down."
So they put John Henry on the right hand side
Steam drill was standing on the left, said
"Before I let a steam drill beat me down
Daddy, I'll hammer my fool self to death
Daddy, I'll hammer my fool self to death
Yes, I'll (guitar finishes line)
Yes, I'll" (guitar finishes line)
John Henry said just before he died, "Man ain't nothin' but a man."
Said, "Before I let a steam drill beat me down
Lord, I'll die with my hammer in my hand
Lord, I'll die with my hammer in my hand
Yes, I'll (guitar finishes line)
Yes, I'll" (guitar finishes line)
Yes, we heard a mighty rumblin' in the mountain one morning
We thought 'twas the tunnel caving in
John Henry whispered to his waterboy
"That's my hammer ramblin' wind
That's my hammer ramblin' in the wind."
Yeah! What? What'd you say? I knew it?
Ummm? Sing it again! Yeah!
John Henry said to his captain one morning
"Captain, how can this be?
Man, I been on your job just about twelve long years
You don't hurry nobody but me
You don't hurry nobody but me
You don't hurry nobo' but me
You don't hurry nobody but me."
John Henry married to a little bitty woman
Her name was Polly Ann
John Henry got sick and she took a five-foot switch
Woman drove down the steel like a man
Polly, she drove down the steel like a man
Yes, she (guitar finishes line)
Say something guitar! Yeah! What'd you hear?
Ummmm hmmmmm. Ummmmm?
John Henry married to another little woman
Dress that she wore was blue
That woman walked down the track, Jack, never looked back
"Man, I once been true to you
Man, I once been true to you
Man, I once been true to you, hear, Lord
Once been true to you."
Mama, when I die, want you to bury me
Way under beneath o' de floor
So maybe I can hear some good gambler say
"I bet you a dollar more
Lord, I bet you a dollar more
Lord, I'll" (guitar finishes line)
