John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight
He said "Before 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 that 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 something, so high and mighty with your muscle
Just go ahead boy and pick up that hammer, pick up the hammer
He said, get a rusted 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 steel-nosed 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 split it half in two
35 cents a day for drivin' steel
Sweat, sweat boy, sweat, you owe me two more swings
I was born drivin' steel
Well John Henry, hammered in the mountain
He'd give a grunt, he'd give a groan every swing
The women folks from miles around, heard him and come down
To watch him make the coal-steel ring, Lord what a swinger
Just listen to the coal-steel ring
But the bad boys came up laughin' at John Henry
Said, you full of vinegar now but you about through
We gonna get a steamdrill 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 for little brothers
And baby sisters' walkin' on her knees
Did the Lord say that machines, ought to 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 30 minutes to rest before the bell
The mine boys hollered, "Get up whoever you are and get a pickaxe
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 nothing but a man"
But if you'll bring that steamdrill round, I'll beat it fair and honest
I'll die with my hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughin'
'Cause, 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 Steamdrill I suppose you didn't hear me, I said how 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
♪
2000 people hollered, "Go John Henry"
Then somebody hollered, "The mountain's cavin' in"
John Henry told the captain, tell the kind folks not to worry
It ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind, it keeps me breathin'
This steel-driver's muscle ain't thin
♪
Captain tell the people, move back farther
I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill
It's so far behind, that it don't got the brains to quit it
When she blows up, she'll scatter cross the hills Lord, Lord
When she blows up, she'll scatter cross the hills
♪
Well, John Henry had a little woman
I believe the lady's name was Paulie 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 Paulie Ann, come here sugar"
You know, I believe this is the first time ever was the sun come up
And I couldn't come up, take my hammer, Paulie Ann and go to that railroad
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it
And when you swing it with a lit man, they'll all know
They will all know you're John Henry's woman but, but tell 'em that 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 the hats, the men do
When they come to the place where John Henry's laying resting his back
Some 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 Lord, Lord
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man Lord Lord
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man Lord, Lord
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man