John Henry

John Henry when he was a baby
Sitting on his mammy's knee
Picked up a hammer in that little right hand
Said hammer be the death of me, me, me

Hammer be the death of me
Hammer be the death of me, me, me
Hammer be the death of me

Well some say he's born down in Texas
Some say he's born up in Maine
I just said he was a Louisiana man
Was the leader of a steel driving chain gang

Leader of a steel driving gang
Leader of a steel driving chain gang
Leader of a steel driving gang

Now the captain said to John Henry
What did he say?
I'm gonna bring my steam drill around
Gonna bring my steam drill out on this job
Gonna whop that steel on down, down, down

Whop that steel on down
I'm gonna whop that steel on down, down, down
I'm gonna whop that steel on down

John Henry said to the captain
What did he say?
Bring your steam drill around
You can bring your steam drill out on the job
I'm gonna beat your steam drill down, down, down
Beat your steam drill down

Gonna beat your steam drill down, down, down
Gonna beat your steam drill down

John Henry said to his shaker
Shaker you had better pray
If you miss your six foot of steel
Tomorrow be your burying day, day, day
Tomorrow be your burying day
Now the shaker said to John Henry
Well a man ain't nothing but a man
I'm throwing a hundred pounds from my hips on down
Doing all that any man can, can, can

Doing all that any man can
Doing all that any man can, can, can
I'm doing all that any man can

John Henry had a little woman
Her name was Polly Ann
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
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 coming or rolling by, by, by
Hollered there lies a steel driving man, man, man
There lies a steel driving man
There lies a steel driving man, man, man
There lies a steel driving man