John Henry
Bruce Springsteen & Seeger Session Band Lyrics

Well, John Henry was a little baby
John Henry was just a baby when the concept of hard labor through hammer and steel was introduced to him.

Sittin' on his dady's knee
John Henry was in his father's lap when he picked up the hammer and steel.

He pick up a hammer and a little piece of steel, And cried, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord Hammer's gonna be the death of me"
John Henry's fascination with hammers and steel was so intense that he felt hammer would be the cause of his death in future.

Now the captain he said to John Henry, "I'm gonna bring that steam drill around I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks I'm gonna knock that steel on down, God, God I'm gonna knock that steel on down"
The captain decided to bring a steam drill to the tracks and was determined to prove that machines were better than human labor by knocking down steel.

John Henry told his captain, "Lord, man ain't nothin' but a man But efore I let that steam drill beat me down I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord I'll die with a hammer in my hand"
John Henry acknowledged that humans were just humans and nothing more, but he was determined to die holding a hammer instead of accepting defeat from the steam drill.

John Henry driving on the right side That steam drill driving on the left Says, "'Fore I'll let your steam drill beat me down I'm gonna hammer myself to death, Lord, Lord, I'll hammer my fool self to death"
John Henry decided to use his hammer on his own body to avoid being defeated and to prove that humans were still superior to machines.

Well, captain said to John Henry, "What is that storm I hear?" John Henry said, "That ain't no storm Captain That's just my hammer in the air, Lord, Lord That's just my hammer in the air"
The captain heard a loud noise and thought it was a storm, but John Henry revealed that it was just the sound of his hammer hitting the steel object in the air.

John Henry said to his shaker "Shaker, why don't you sing? 'Cause I'm swigin' thirty pounds from my hips on down Yeah, listen to my cold steel ring, Lord, Lord Listen to my cold steel ring"
John Henry asked his shaker why he wasn't singing, while revealing that he was lifting thirty pounds and that the sound of the hammer and steel striking together was like music to his ears.

John Henry, he hammered in the mountains His hammer was striking fire But he worked so hard; it broke his heart John Henry laid down his hammer and died, Lord, Lord John Henry laid down his hammer and died
John Henry worked really hard and his heart couldn't keep up; he eventually succumbed to the strain and died, thus ending his legacy as a hammer-wielding worker.

Well, now John Henry, he had him a woman By the name of Polly Ann She walked out to those tracks Picked up John Henry's hammer Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord Polly drove that steel like a man
John Henry had a woman named Polly Ann, who picked up his hammer and worked with steel like a man, paying respect to the work that John Henry dedicated his life to.

Well every, every Monday morning When the blue bird he begin to sing You could hear John Henry from a mile or more You could hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord You can hear John Henry's hammer ring I say, You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
John Henry's legacy lived on through the sound of his hammer, which could still be heard ringing every Monday morning when the blue bird sang, a testament to the hard work and dedication put into his craft even after his death.