Lomax was son of pioneering musicologist and folklorist John Lomax, with whom he started his career by recording songs sung by prisoners in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He attended The Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut, and then went on to earn a degree in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and worked on the oral history project for the Library of Congress. To some, he is best known for his theory of cantometrics.
Lomax worked with his father on the Archive of Folk Culture, a collection of more than ten thousand recordings for the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress.
Lomax assembled a highly regarded treasure trove of American and international culture. He spent a lifetime collecting folk music from around the world, particularly from the American South. He also recorded substantial interviews with many musicians, including Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Muddy Waters, Jelly Roll Morton, and Jeannie Robertson. He produced radio shows, had a regular television series, and played an important role in both the American and British Folk revivals of the 1950s.
He recorded Irish traditional musicians including some of the songs in English and Irish of Elizabeth Cronin in 1951.
His survey of Italian folk music with Diego Carpitella, conducted in 1953 and 1954, helped capture a snapshot of a multitude of important traditional folk styles shortly before they disappeared. The pair amassed one of the most representative folk song collections of any culture. From Lomax's Spanish and Italian recordings emerged one of the first theories explaining the types of folk singing that emerge in particular areas, a theory that incorporates work style, the environment, and the degrees of social and sexual freedom.
Achievements
Lomax won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award in 1993 for his book The Land Where the Blues Began, the story of the origins of Blues music. Lomax also received a posthumous Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in 2003.
John Henry
Alan Lomax Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
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.
The song John Henry is a traditional folk ballad about a legendary African-American railroad worker named John Henry, who worked as a steel driver during the expansion of railway systems in America. Legend has it, that John Henry was born with a hammer in his hand and even as an infant, he was tapping objects with his little piece of steel. As he grew up, John Henry became one of the most well-known steel drivers, known for his physical strength and tireless work ethic.
The song tells the story of how John Henry competed against a steam drill to prove that a man was better than a machine. The captain had brought a steam drill to complete the excavation work that the steel drivers used to do manually. However, John Henry challenged the machine to a race, beating it by completing 15 feet of drilling compared to the machine’s 9 feet. Despite winning the race, John Henry collapsed and died due to overexertion and ailing health. The song is a tribute to his strength, bravery, and ultimately, his sacrifice for the railroad.
The song's origin isn't clear, but it is thought to have developed during the 19th century among African American railroad workers. It has been passed down through generations and recorded by various musicians, including Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, and Johnny Cash. It has become a symbol of labour struggles, racism, and the ongoing battle between man and machine. It also holds cultural significance as a part of African-American folklore.
Line by Line Meaning
John Henry was about three days old,
John Henry was just three days old when he was sitting on his father's lap.
Sittin' on his papa's knee.
John Henry was seated on his father's knee.
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel;
John Henry picked up a hammer and a steel piece.
Said, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord.
John Henry knew that he will die because of the hammer.
The captain said to John Henry
The captain spoke to John Henry.
"Gonna bring that steam drill 'round.
The captain said that he will bring the steam roll around.
Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job.
The captain said that he will bring the steam roll on the job site.
Gonna whop that steel on down. Down,
The captain said that he will work the steel down.
Down. Whop that steel on down."
The captain said to work the steel down.
John Henry told his captain,
John Henry spoke to his captain.
"A man ain't nothin' but a man,
John Henry believed that everyone is equal.
But before I let your steam drill beat me
John Henry stated that he will not allow the steam drill to defeat him.
Down, I'd die with a hammer in my hand. Lord, Lord.
John Henry preferred to die with a hammer in his hand instead of getting defeated.
John Henry said to his shaker,
John Henry spoke with his shaker.
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
John Henry asked his shaker why he wasn't singing.
I'm throwin' thirty pounds from my hips on Down.
John Henry swung thirty-pound hammers with his hips to work the steel down.
Just listen to that cold steel ring. Lord, Lord.
John Henry asked his shaker to listen to the sound the cold steel makes when he hits it.
The man that invented the stream drill
The person who created the steam drill.
Thought he was mighty fine,
The inventor thought he was superior.
But John Henry made fifteen feet;
John Henry worked fifteen feet of steel by himself.
The steam drill only made nine. Lord, Lord.
The steam drill only worked nine feet of steel, which was not as efficient as John Henry.
John Henry hammered in the mountain
John Henry worked in the mountain, hammering steel.
His hammer was striking fire.
John Henry's hammer created sparks.
But he worked so hard, he broke his poor Heart.
John Henry worked so hard that it led to his death due to heart failure.
He laid down his hammer and he died. Lord,
John Henry stopped working and died.
Lord. He laid down his hammer and he died.
John Henry passed away after he stopped working.
John Henry had a little woman.
John Henry had a wife.
Her name was Polly Ann.
John Henry's wife's name was Polly Ann.
John Henry took sick and went to his bed.
John Henry got sick and went to bed.
Polly Ann drove steel like a man. Lord,
Polly Ann worked like a man and was an excellent steel driver.
Lord. Polly Ann drove steel like a man.
Polly Ann's work was powerful and masculine-like.
John Henry had a little baby.
John Henry had a baby.
You could hold him in the palm of your Hand.
John Henry's baby was so small that it could fit in the palm of your hand.
The last words I heard that poor boy say,
The last words heard from John Henry's baby.
"My daddy was steel-driving man. Lord, Lord.
John Henry's baby was proud of his father and what he did for a living.
My daddy was a steel-driving."
John Henry's baby acknowledged his dad as a steel driver.
Well, every Monday morning
Every Monday morning.
When the bluebirds begin to sing.
When bluebirds start to sing.
You can hear John Henry a mile or more.
John Henry's legacy is still present and can be heard from miles away.
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring.
John Henry's hammer is still hitting steel even after he has died.
Lord, Lord.
Exclamation used to express sadness and sorrow.
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring.
John Henry's hammer sound is still audible.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind