John Henry
Earl Scruggs Hylo Brown and 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 song John Henry is a folk ballad about the legendary African-American man who worked on the railroad in the late 19th century, known for his incredible strength and stamina as a "steel-driving man." The song begins with John Henry's father, holding him in his palm, predicting that his son will grow up to be a steel-driving man. The phrase "steel-driving man" refers to the laborers who helped construct the railroads by drilling holes into rock for blasting and using steel hammers to drive in steel spikes to secure the track to the ground.
As John Henry takes up the work of a steel-driving man, he encounters the challenge of a high mountain that he must tunnel through for the railroad. The enormity of the task is reflected in the line "Lord the mountain was so tall John Henry was so small," underscoring the extraordinary feats of strength and endurance that were required in building America's railroads. Despite his incredible abilities, John Henry is defeated by the task and dies with the request of a cool drink.
The song pays tribute to John Henry's heroic efforts as a representation of the millions of African-American workers who contributed substantially to the growth and development of the United States, particularly during the era of railroad and industrialization.
Line by Line Meaning
John Henry was a little baby boy
John Henry was just an infant, so tiny that he could fit in the palm of your hand
You could hold him on the palm of your hand
He was small enough to be held on one hand
And his Papa cried out this lonesome farewell
His father said a sad goodbye as he knew that John Henry would become a steel driving man
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man lord, lord
His father predicted that John Henry will become a man who drives steel
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man
His father is confident that John Henry will work hard and be successful at his job
John Henry went up on the mountain
John Henry climbed up a mountain
Looked down on the other side
From the top of the mountain, John Henry could see the other side
Lord the mountain was so tall John Henry was so small
The mountain was very high and John Henry felt very small in comparison
He laid down his hammer and he cried poor boy
John Henry was feeling discouraged and he put down his hammer and cried
Laid down his hammer and he cried
John Henry was so upset that he stopped working and cried
John Henry walked through the tunnel
John Henry walked through a tunnel
Had his captain by his side
John Henry's boss, the captain, was with 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
John Henry wanted a cold drink before he died
Cool drink of what ‘for I die
John Henry wanted to quench his thirst before he passed away
Talk about John Henry as much as you please
People can talk about John Henry however much they want
Say and do all that you can
They are free to express their opinions and do anything they want
There never was born in these United States
In the United States, there has never been born
No such a steel driving man lord, lord
No one can match the skill of a steel driving man like John Henry
No such a steel driving man
John Henry is the best steel driving man that has ever lived
John Henry told his captain
John Henry spoke to his boss, the captain
I want to go to bed
John Henry was very tired and wanted to sleep
Lord fix me a pallet, I want to lay down
John Henry asked for a place to sleep, a makeshift bed or mattress on the ground
Got a mighty roaring in my head lord, lord
John Henry was experiencing a severe headache or noise in his head
Mighty roaring in my head
John Henry had a loud noise or pain in his head
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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