When John Henry was a little baby, sitting on his daddy's knee,
Pointed he figured out a little piece of steel,
"Steel's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, steel's gonna be the death of me,
Well, now steel's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, steel's gonna be the death of me"
John Henry told his captain one day,
"A man ain't nothin' but a man, before I will let you steam drill beat me down
Would die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, die with this hammer in my hand
I would die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, die with this hammer in my hand"
John Henry had a little woman, her name was Polly Ann,
John Henry got sick and had to go to bed
You know Polly, she drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord,
Polly, she drove steel like a man
How she drive?
John Henry drivin' on the right hand side
Steam drill drivin' on the left,
"Before I will let your steam drill beat me down
I will drive my poor self to death, Lord, Lord
Drive my poor self to death"
John Henry drove steel on the Southern
He drove steel on the C&O1
He drove steel for that Big Ben Tunnel2
Steel drivin' kill John you know
Steel drivin' kill John you know
Well, now steel drivin' kill John you know, Lord, Lord
Steel drivin' kill John you know
Some says John Henry was born in Texas
Some people thinks he was born in Maine
John Henry was born down in Tennessee
He was a leader of a steel-driving-gang, Lord, Lord
Leader of a steel-driving-gang,
Was a leader of a steel-driving-gang, Lord, Lord
Leader of a steel-driving-gang
Well, the captain loved to see John Henry
One of all loved to hear him sing,
but most of all that the paymaster loved
He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring
He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring
He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
Loved to get John Henry's hammer ring
They carried John Henry on the mountain, upon a mountain so high
Last words I heard that poor boy say:
"Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die
Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die
Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die"
Well, they carried John Henry's body to the White-house, and they laid it in the sand
Every time a locomotive follows go rollin' by, they say: "Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man
Well, now yonder lays a steel-drivin' man
They say yonder lays a steel-drivin' man
Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man"