Lyrics Little John Henry - Leadbelly
John
Henry
was
about
three
days
old
Sittin'
on
his
papa's
knee
He
picked
up
a
hammer
and
a
little
piece
of
steel
Said,
"Hammer's
gonna
be
the
death
of
me,
Lord,
Lord
Hammer's
gonna
be
the
death
of
me."
The
captain
said
to
John
Henry
"Gonna
bring
that
steam
drill
'round
Gonna
bring
that
steam
drill
out
on
the
job
Gonna
whop
that
steel
on
down.
Down
Down
Whop
that
steel
on
down."
John
Henry
told
his
captain
"A
man
ain't
nothin'
but
a
man
But
before
I
let
your
steam
drill
beat
me
Down
I'd
die
with
a
hammer
in
my
hand.
Lord
Lord
I'd
dies
with
a
hammer
in
my
hand."
John
Henry
said
to
his
shaker
"Shaker,
why
don't
you
sing?
I'm
throwin'
thirty
pounds
from
my
hips
on
Down
Just
listen
to
that
cold
steel
ring.
Lord,
Lord
Listen
to
that
cold
steel
ring."
The
man
that
invented
the
stream
drill
Thought
he
was
mighty
fine
But
John
Henry
made
fifteen
feet
The
steam
drill
only
made
nine.
Lord,
Lord
The
steam
drill
only
made
nine
John
Henry
hammered
in
the
mountain
His
hammer
was
striking
fire
But
he
worked
so
hard,
he
broke
his
poor
Heart
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
Ann
John
Henry
took
sick
and
went
to
his
bed
Polly
Ann
drove
steel
like
a
man.
Lord
Lord
Polly
Ann
drove
steel
like
a
man
John
Henry
had
a
little
baby
You
could
hold
him
in
the
palm
of
your
Hand
The
last
words
I
heard
that
poor
boy
say
"My
daddy
was
steel-driving
man.
Lord
Lord
My
daddy
was
a
steel-driving."
Well,
every
Monday
morning
When
the
bluebirds
begin
to
sing
You
can
hear
John
Henry
a
mile
or
more
You
can
hear
John
Henry's
hammer
ring
Lord,
Lord
You
can
hear
John
Henry's
hammer
ring
Album
The Library of Congress Recordings, Vol. 5: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
date of release
01-01-1994
1 Ho Day
2 One Dollar Bill Baby
3 Ain't Goin' Down To The Well No More
4 Shorty George
5 Where de Sun Gone Down
6 Bring Me Water Silvy
7 Monkey Man
8 Ain't Gonna Ring Dem Yallow Woman's Do' Bells
9 Rock Island Line
10 Billy The Weaver
11 Ain't Gonna Drink No More
12 The Hindenburg Disaster, Pt. 1
13 The Hindenburg Disaster, Pt. 2
14 Git On Board
15 Outshine the Sun
16 Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
17 Little John Henry
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