When John Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his mammy's knee
Well, he picked up a hammer
and a little bitty steel
Said, this hammer's gonna be the death of me,
Lord, Lord
Hammer's gonna be the death of me
John Henry was a real steel -drivin' man
Oh, what a man was he
Now the captain said to John Henry,
I'm gonna bring that steam drill round,
gonna bring that steam drill out of the job,
I'm gonna whop that steel on down,
Lord, Lord, whop that steel on down
Well, John Henry said to his captain
A man ain't nothin' but a man
And before I let your steam to beat me down
I would die with this hammer in my hand,
Lord, Lord
Die with this hammer in my hand
Now the sun was hot and we was burned
And there was no breeze at all
And the sweat ran down
like water down a hill
The day John let his hammer fall,
Lord, Lord
The day John let his hands unfold
John Henry was a real steel -driving man
Oh, what a man was he!
John Henry said to his shaker,
Hey, shaker, why don't you sing?
I'm drivin' thirty pounds
with my hips right on down
Just listen to that cold steel ring,
Lord, Lord, listen to that cold steel ring
Well, the shaker said to John Henry,
I believe this mountain's caving in .
John Henry said to his shaker, man,
it ain't nothing but my hammer sucking wind,
Lord, Lord.
Nothing but my hammer sucking wind.
John Henry was hammering
on the mountain,
and his hammer was striking fire.
Well, he drove so hard
till he broke his poor heart.
He laid down his hammer and he died,
Lord, Lord.
Laid down his hammer and he died
John Henry was a real steel -driving man
Oh, what a man was he
Then they took John Henry
to the graveyard
Buried him in the sand
Every locomotive come a -roarin' by
Says, there lies a steel -driving man,
Lord, Lord
There lies a steel -driving man
John Henry was a real steel -driving man
Oh, a man was, oh, what a man was he!