John Henry
Earl Scruggs & Hylo Brown & The Timberliners Lyrics
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You could hold him on the palm of your hand
And his Papa cried out this lonesome farewell
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man lord, lord
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man
John Henry went up on the mountain
Looked down on the other side
He laid down his hammer and he cried poor boy
Laid down his hammer and he cried
John Henry walked through the tunnel
Had his captain by his side
The last words that John Henry said was bring me
Cool drink of what ‘for I die lord, lord
Cool drink of what ‘for I die
Talk about John Henry as much as you please
Say and do all that you can
There never was born in these United States
No such a steel driving man lord, lord
No such a steel driving man
John Henry told his captain
I want to go to bed
Lord fix me a pallet, I want to lay down
Got a mighty roaring in my head lord, lord
Mighty roaring in my head
The lyrics of Earl Scruggs and Hylo Brown & The Timberliners's song John Henry follow the story of a man named John Henry who becomes a steel driving man. His father prophesizes this from the time he was a baby and the song is a retelling of his life. As an adult, John Henry is tasked with driving steel through a mountain tunnel. The task is grueling and exhausting but John Henry is determined to complete it. As he works, he sings a mournful tune about his hard work and the difficulties of the task.
The lyrics of John Henry describe the man's passion for work and his desire to succeed despite the hardships he faces. He is always striving to be the best at what he does, whether it is steel driving or singing. The line "Talk about John Henry as much as you please, Say and do all that you can, There never was born in these United States, No such a steel driving man lord, lord, No such a steel driving man" highlights John Henry's status as a legend in American folklore. His determination, hard work, and ultimate sacrifice made him an icon of the American work ethic.
Line by Line Meaning
John Henry was a little baby boy
John Henry was born as a tiny and fragile baby boy
You could hold him on the palm of your hand
He was so small that he could easily fit on the palm of a person's hand
And his Papa cried out this lonesome farewell
John Henry's father said a sad goodbye to him
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man lord, lord
His father predicted that John Henry would grow up to work hard as a steel driver
John Henry went up on the mountain
John Henry climbed a tall mountain
Looked down on the other side
He gazed down at the area on the other side of the mountain
Lord the mountain was so tall John Henry was so small
The mountain he climbed was very tall and John Henry felt very small in comparison
He laid down his hammer and he cried poor boy
John Henry stopped working and cried because he felt overwhelmed
Laid down his hammer and he cried
He put down his hammer and shed tears
John Henry walked through the tunnel
John Henry proceeded through a tunnel
Had his captain by his side
His captain accompanied him
The last words that John Henry said was bring me
John Henry's final request was for someone to bring him something
Cool drink of what ‘for I die lord, lord
He asked for a refreshing drink before he died
Talk about John Henry as much as you please
People can discuss John Henry as often as they want
Say and do all that you can
People can talk and act in any way they wish
There never was born in these United States
In the United States, no one has been born
No such a steel driving man lord, lord
No one has been as skilled and determined as John Henry in his work as a steel driver
John Henry told his captain
John Henry informed his captain
I want to go to bed
He wanted to rest
Lord fix me a pallet, I want to lay down
He asked for a comfortable place to lay down
Got a mighty roaring in my head lord, lord
He had a loud, unbearable noise in his head
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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