John Henry
Hylo Brown and The Timberliners With Earl Scruggs 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 tells the story of a legendary African-American steel driving man who sets out to prove that he is the best worker on the railroad. The first verse of the song paints a picture of John Henry as a small baby boy who is given a lonesome farewell by his father, who knows that his son will become a steel driving man someday. The second verse has John Henry bravely walking up a tall mountain, only to find that he is too small and weak to conquer it. He lays down his hammer and cries, admitting defeat.
The third verse sees John Henry walking through a tunnel with his captain, who is by his side. The steel driving man questions his own mortality and asks for a cool drink before he dies. The final verse discusses how John Henry will always be remembered as a legend among steel driving men - that there was never anyone born like him in the United States. The song's lyrics are simple but powerful, and it's easy to see why the story of John Henry has been passed down for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
John Henry was a little baby boy
John Henry was just a toddler when he was born
You could hold him on the palm of your hand
He was so small that anyone could hold him in their hand
And his Papa cried out this lonesome farewell
John Henry’s father said goodbye to him in a sorrowful tone
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man lord, lord
John Henry’s father knew that he was going to become a steel worker
Son you're gonna be a steel driving man
John Henry’s father was sure that he would excel in his job as a steel worker
John Henry went up on the mountain
John Henry climbed up a mountain
Looked down on the other side
He saw what was on the other side of the mountain
Lord the mountain was so tall John Henry was so small
The mountain was very tall compared to John Henry’s small size
He laid down his hammer and he cried poor boy
Feeling overwhelmed, John Henry put down his hammer and shed some tears
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 entered a tunnel
Had his captain by his side
He was accompanied by his captain
The last words that John Henry said was bring me
John Henry’s final words were a request
Cool drink of what ‘for I die lord, lord
He requested a cool drink before he died
Cool drink of what ‘for I die
John Henry knew that he was dying and wanted a final drink
Talk about John Henry as much as you please
People are free to talk about John Henry as much as they want
Say and do all that you can
People can also express their opinions and beliefs about John Henry
There never was born in these United States
In the whole of the United States, there has never been
No such a steel driving man lord, lord
Anyone as skilled and efficient as John Henry in the steel driving trade
No such a steel driving man
John Henry was an unparalleled steel worker in the United States
John Henry told his captain
John Henry spoke to his captain
I want to go to bed
He felt tired and wanted to sleep
Lord fix me a pallet, I want to lay down
John Henry asked for a place to sleep
Got a mighty roaring in my head lord, lord
John Henry had an intense headache
Mighty roaring in my head
The headache was so severe that he described it as a ‘mighty roaring’
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind