Lyrics:
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John Henry, when he was a baby
Settin' on his mammy's knee,
Picked up an hammer in his little right hand
Said "Hammer gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord,
Hammer gonna be the death of me!"
Some say he's born in Texas.
Some say he's born up in Maine.
I just say he was a Louisiana man,
Leader of a steel-driving gang, Lord, Lord,
Leader on a steel-driving gang.
"Well", the captain said to John Henry,
"I'm gonna bring my steam drill around.
Gonna bring my steam drill out on the job,
Whup that steel on down, Lord, Lord,
whup that steel on down!"
John Henry said to the captain,
"You can bring your steam drill around.
Bring your steam drill out on the job,
I'll beat your steam drill down, Lord, Lord,
Beat your steam drill down!"
John Henry said to his Shaker,
"Shaker you had better pray.
If you miss your six feet of steel,
It'll be your buryin' day, Lord, Lord,
It'll be your buryin' day!"
John Henry said to the captain,
"A man ain't nothing but a man.
Before I'd let that steam drill beat me down,
I'd die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord,
I'd die with a hammer in my hand!"
John Henry hammered on the moutain.
But the mountain it was so high,
The mountain so tall and John Henry so small,
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 Anne.
John Henry took sick and was laid up in bed,
While Polly handled steel like a man, Lord, Lord,
Polly handled steel like a man.
They took John Henry to the graveyard,
An'buried him down in the sand.
Every steam locomotive comin' a-rolling on by
Blows "there lies a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord,
There lies a steel-drivin' man!"
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