When John Henry was just a little bitty boy Settin' on his mammy's knee He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel Said, it's gonna be the death of me It's gonna be the death of me When John Henry was a little baby He was no bigger than the palm of your hand Well he's mammy looked down at little Johnny and said Oh Johnny gonna be a steel drivin' man, Lord Lord Oh Johnny gonna be a steel drivin' man Well John Henry he was a steel drivin' man He drove steel all over the land He said before I let a steam hammer get me down Gonna die with my hammer in my hand, Lord Lord Gonna die with my hammer in my hand Now John Henry went to the eternal drive He had a steam hammer by his side Oh the mountain was so tall, John Henry was so small That he laid down his hammer and he cried Lord Lord He laid down his hammer and he cried Well, John Henry had him a lovin' little wife And Her name was Polly Ann Oh Johnny got sick and he had to go to bed Polly drove steel like a man, Lord Lord Polly drove steel like a man Now they buried John Henry by the railroad They laid him six feet down in the sand And every time a freight train would hoo-hoo by They'd say "Yonder lays that steel drivin' man Yonder lays that steel drivin' man"