John Henry
Big Bill Broonzy Lyrics


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Yeah!
Johnny told his old Captain
'Man, a-when you go downtown
Bring me back the nine pounds hammer'
I got to drive this steel on down
I got to drive this steel on down

You see, Johnny's hammer
Hit the mighty boiler
The hammer caught on fire
Now, the last word I heard
The poor boy say
'I want a cool drink a-water 'fore I die'
'Yeah, a cool drink a-water 'fore I die'

Yeah, Johnny's wife
She heard that Johnny was dead
And she couldn't have stayed in bed
Oh, now Monday mornin'
Caught the eastbound train
She said, I'm g'wine where my man fell dead
'Yeah! I'm goin' where my man fell dead'

('Look out!')

(harmonica & instrumental)

Woo-ha! Woo-ha! Woo!

Woo! Woo!

(Woo! Lord, have mercy, too)

(Ease your mind)

(Yeah!)
Johnny's wife, she wore
A brand new dress (say)
And it was trimmed in blue
(Pretty thing)
Yeah, the last were the words
Said to him, oh Lord, now
'Honey, I been good to you'
'Yeah, honey I been good to you'

Well, they carried Little John
To the graveyard (boys, listen)
They looked at him good and long
Now, the last were the words
If you hear me, oh Lord
'Oh my husband, he is dead and gone'
That's what she said
She said, 'My husband, he is dead and gone'
'Yeah, my husband he is dead and gone'

Yeah, when John Henry was a baby
You could hold him in the paddles of your hand
When everytime they'd rock him, cried
(They say 'He sho' gonna be a little man')
('Yeah, he sho' gon' be a little man')

Yeah, who gonna buy yo' pretty shoes then?
And who gonna roll yo' cheek?

FADES-

She said, 'My daddy gonna buy my pretty lil'
And John Henry gonna roll my cheek
And John Henry gonna roll my cheek
(That what it said)
A-John Henry gonna roll my cheek.





~

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Big Bill Broonzy's song "John Henry" are a classic example of the "John Henry ballad." The song follows the story of John Henry, an African American railroad worker who is tasked with driving a steel drill bit through a mountain to create a tunnel. Johnny Dealing, his captain, is instructed to fetch him the "nine-pound hammer" that he wields with impressive strength. As John Henry hammers away at the rock, the hammer becomes red hot and eventually gives out on him. In his final moments, John Henry requests a drink of water before passing away. His wife hears the news of his death and dons a new blue dress to go to the place where John Henry passed.


Line by Line Meaning

Johnny told his old Captain
John Henry requested his captain to bring back his nine pound hammer for driving steel


'Man, a-when you go downtown Bring me back the nine pounds hammer' I got to drive this steel on down I got to drive this steel on down
John Henry expresses his determination to finish the job of driving the steel forward


You see, Johnny's hammer Hit the mighty boiler The hammer caught on fire Now, the last word I heard The poor boy say 'I want a cool drink a-water 'fore I die' 'Yeah, a cool drink a-water 'fore I die'
John Henry's hammer hits the boiler, catches on fire, and he expresses the desire for a drink of water before dying


Johnny's wife She heard that Johnny was dead And she couldn't have stayed in bed Oh, now Monday mornin' Caught the eastbound train She said, I'm g'wine where my man fell dead 'Yeah! I'm goin' where my man fell dead'
John Henry's wife hears of his death and travels where he passed away to mourn him


Johnny's wife, she wore A brand new dress (say) And it was trimmed in blue (Pretty thing) Yeah, the last were the words Said to him, oh Lord, now 'Honey, I been good to you' 'Yeah, honey I been good to you'
Before John Henry's death, his wife expresses her affection for him and reminds him of how good she has been to him


Well, they carried Little John To the graveyard (boys, listen) They looked at him good and long Now, the last were the words If you hear me, oh Lord 'Oh my husband, he is dead and gone' That's what she said She said, 'My husband, he is dead and gone' 'Yeah, my husband he is dead and gone'
John Henry's wife delivers the final words on his passing at his funeral


Yeah, when John Henry was a baby You could hold him in the paddles of your hand When everytime they'd rock him, cried (They say 'He sho' gonna be a little man') ('Yeah, he sho' gon' be a little man')
Anecdote about John Henry as a baby, how small he was, and the prediction of his future manliness


Yeah, who gonna buy yo' pretty shoes then? And who gonna roll yo' cheek?
John Henry's wife asks who will look after her and provide for her now that he is gone


She said, 'My daddy gonna buy my pretty lil' And John Henry gonna roll my cheek And John Henry gonna roll my cheek (That what it said) A-John Henry gonna roll my cheek.
John Henry's wife believes his spirit will continue to look after her even after his death




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: HYLO BROWN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Joe Johnston

Thanks for the post!!! misplaced my copy with an old girl friend in about 1959. What a thrill to hear it again.

Alberta Driftwood

what I love about this song is that everyone has they're way of singing it, verses come and go. Big Bill"s remarkable version is so full of energy, really captures the spirit of work.

hbf1184

Country blues? Man, this is real country music!

Lionel Stoodley

The "country blues legend" title is referring to Big Bill himself and not the song, which is atypical of his repertoire.

Odin029

@SantomPh I think what he means is that what Big Bill was playing was as much a country song as it was a blues. And I sort of agree. The genre labels had as much to do with the color of the performer's skin as they did the type of music they played.
And on a different note, for a finger style player, Big Bill was a heck of a flatpicker

The Brazilian Atlantis

@SantomPh  "country blues is the name of the genre" What genre? The old folk song "John Henry" was around for about twenty years before singing about having the "blues" became popular among black folk musicians.

SantomPh

country blues is the name of the genre before the Chicago electric sound- played in the rural countryside, on porches and stoops. Electric artists like Muddy Waters and Hubert Sumlin started out in country blues but became famous playing electric or 'city blues'.

joeb2665

With his guitar, Big Bill always had to be the coolest guy in the room. Had he lived into the early 60s folk revival, his stature would have been ever greater.

SMA WJ

my favourite version of this song, I wish i could find some chords or something on how broonzy plays this, specially the intro, it's so good!

Ashley Nave

I am trying to bring back memories from school. John Henry was one of the songs taught in music during the fifth grade.

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