John Henry - Woody Guthrie

John Henry when he was a baby

settin' on his mammy’s knee

picked up an hammer in his little right hand

Said «Hammer be the death of me me me,

hammer 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 chain gang

leader on a steel-driving gang

«Well», the captain said to John Henry

«I'm gonna bring my steam drill around

gonna whup that steel on down down down

whup that steel on down!»

John Henry said to the captain (what he say?)

«You can bring your steam drill around

gonna bring my steam drill out on the job

I’ll beat your steam drill down down down

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 day day

It’ll be your buryin' day!»

Now the Shaker said to John Henry

«Man ain’t nothing but a man

but before I’d let that steam drill beat me down

I’d die with an hammer in my hand hand hand

I’d die with an hammer in my hand!»

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 man man

Polly handled steel like a man.

They took John Henry to the graveyard

laid him down in the sand

Every locomotive comin' a-rolling by by by

hollered «there lies a steel-drivin' man man man

there lies a steel-drivin' man!»