John Henry
Dave Van Ronk Lyrics

John Henry when he was a baby
John Henry was just a baby when he picked up a hammer in his right hand

Settin' on his mammy's knee
He was sitting on his mother's lap while he picked the hammer

Said "Hammer be the death of me me me, Hammer be the death of me!"
John Henry realized the danger in the job ahead and knew that the hammer would be the death of him someday

Some say he's born in Texas
It's uncertain where John Henry was born

Some say he's born up in Maine
There are different opinions on where John Henry might have been born

I just say he was a Louisiana man
Dave Van Ronk thinks John Henry must have been from Louisiana

Leader of a steel-driving chain gang
John Henry was the leader of a gang of workers who built railways by drilling steel

"Well", the captain said to John Henry
The captain of a steam drill machine challenged John Henry

"I'm gonna bring my steam drill around
The captain intends to use a steam drill machine to replace John's work and make it more efficient

Gonna whup that steel on down down down Whup that steel on down!"
The captain is confident that the steam drill can do the job better/faster than John Henry

John Henry said to the captain (what he say?)
John Henry responds to the captain's challenge

"You can bring your steam drill around
John Henry realizes that the machines are the future and agrees to compete with the steam drill

Gonna bring my steam drill out on the job
John Henry will use his own steam drill to try and beat the machine

I'll beat your steam drill down down down Beat your steam drill down!"
John Henry is confident that he can beat the steam drill and maintain his own job

John Henry said to his Shaker
John Henry talked to one of his fellow workers, a man named Shaker

"Shaker you had better pray
John Henry warns Shaker about the danger in their job

If you miss your six feet of steel It'll be your buryin' day day day It'll be your buryin' day!"
If Shaker fails to drill the steel properly, it could result in death

Now the Shaker said to John Henry
Shaker responds to John Henry's warning

"Man ain't nothing but a man
Shaker realizes that humans are mortal and have limitations

But before I'd let that steam drill beat me down
Shaker is determined to do the job right and resist being replaced by a machine

I'd die with an hammer in my hand hand hand I'd die with an hammer in my hand!"
Shaker would rather die than lose his job and leave something unfinished

John Henry had a little woman Her name was Polly Anne
John Henry had a wife named Polly Anne

John Henry took sick and was laid up in bed
John Henry fell ill and couldn't work anymore

While Polly handled steel like a man man man Polly handled steel like a man.
Polly took over John Henry's job in his absence and did it well

They took John Henry to the graveyard Laid him down in the sand
John Henry died and was buried in a grave

Every locomotive comin' a-rolling by by by Hollered "there lies a steel-drivin' man man man There lies a steel-drivin' man!"
People remember John Henry as a hard-working man who dedicated his life to steel-driving