John Henry
Leadbelly Lyrics

John Henry was a li'l baby, uh-huh
John Henry was once a small and fragile infant

Sittin' on his mama's knee, oh, yeah,
Sitting on his mother's lap, most likely receiving comfort

Said: "De Big Bend Tunnel on de C & O road Gonna cause de death of me Lawd, Lawd. Gonna cause de death of me
John Henry had a premonition that working at the Big Bend Tunnel would be fatal

John Henry, he had a woman Her name was Mary Magdalene She would go to de tunnel and sing for John Jes' to hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lawd, Lawd Jes' to hear John Henry's hammer ring
John Henry had a woman named Mary who came to the tunnel where he worked to sing for him because she enjoyed hearing the sound of his hammer hitting steel.

John Henry had a li'l woman Her name was Lucy Ann John Henry took sick an' had to go to bed Lucy Ann drove steel like a man Lawd, Lawd, Lucy Ann drove steel like a man
John Henry had a wife named Lucy Ann. When John Henry fell sick, Lucy Ann took over his work of driving steel and worked just as hard and strong as a man.

Cap'n says to John Henry Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round Gonna take dat steam drill out on de job Gonna whop dat steel on down, Lawd, Lawd Gonna whop dat steel on down
John Henry's boss tells him that a steam drill is coming to take over his job, which he intends to use to easily complete the task of driving the steel.

John Henry tol' his cap'n Lightnin' was in his eye Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me Fo' I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die, Lawd, Law I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die
John Henry looks the boss in the eye and says that he can take on the steam drill and finish the job faster than the drill, so much so that he is willing to bet his own life on it.

Sun shine hot an' burnin' Wer'n't no breeze a-tall Sweat ran down like water down a hill Dat day John Henry let his hammer fall Lawd, Lawd, dat day John Henry let his hammer fall
On a day when the sun was hot and there was no breeze, John Henry was working tirelessly on the steel driving until he could no longer keep working and put his hammer down.

John Henry went to de tunnel An' dey put him in de lead to drive De rock so tall an' John Henry so small Dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried Lawd, Lawd, dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried
John Henry was put in the lead to drive the tunnel despite the rock being too tall, and he became overwhelmed by it, causing him to stop working and cry.

John Henry started out on de right hand De steam drill started on de lef "Before I 'd let dis steam drill beat me down I'd hammer my fool self to death Lawd, Lawd, I'd hammer my fool self to death
John Henry hears that the steam drill has started on the opposite end of the tunnel and claims that, rather than let the machine beat him, he would rather work himself to death.

White man tol' John Henry "Nigger, damn yo' soul You might beat dis steam an' dr;ll of mine When de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol' Lawd, Lawd, when de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol'
A white man taunts John Henry, saying that he might be able to beat the steam drill, but he will never win against the rocks turning to gold, implying that the challenge is impossible.

John Henry said to his shaker "Nigger, why don' you sing? I'm throwin' twelve poun's from my hips on down Jes' listen to de col' steel ring Lawd, Lawd, Jes' listen to de col' steel ring"
John Henry encourages his work partner to sing and listen to the sound of the steel being hit as he swings the heavy hammer.

Oh, de captain said to John Henry "I b'lieve this mountain's sinkin' in John Henry said to his captain, oh my! "Ain' nothin' but my hammer suckin' win' Lawd, Lawd, ain' nothln' but my hammer suckin' win'
The boss believes the mountain is sinking, and John Henry claims that the only sound is the sound of his own hammer striking the steel.

John Henry tol' his shaker Shaker, you better pray For if I miss dis six-foot steel Tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day Lawd, Lawd, tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day"
John Henry warns his partner that if he misses hitting the six-foot steel he is working on today, his partner's life will be at risk.

John Henry tol' his captain "Looka yonder what l see Yo' drill's done broke an' yo' hole's done choke An' you cain' drive steel like me Lawd, Lawd, an' you cain' drive steel like me"
John Henry sees that the steam drill has malfunctioned and John Henry uses this as proof that no machine can do the work as well as him.

De man dat invented de steam drill Thought he was mighty fine John Henry drove his fifteen feet An' de steam drill only made nine Lawd, Lawd, an' de steam drill only made nine
The man who created the steam drill thought highly of himself, yet John Henry still drove his fifteen feet of steel while the steam drill only drove nine, showing John Henry's superiority.

De hammer dat John Henry swung' It weighed over nine pound He broke a rib in his lef'-han' side An' his intrels fell on de groun' Lawd, Lawd, an' his intrels fell on de groun'
The hammer that John Henry used to drive the steel was very heavy and caused him great physical harm: It broke a rib in his left hand side, resulting in his intestines falling out.

John Henry was hammerin' on de mountain An' his hammer was strikin' fire He drove so hard till he broke his pore heart An' he lied down his hammer an' he died Lawd, Lawd, he lied down his hammer an' he died
John Henry, still hammering the steel, was overworking himself to such an extent that he eventually died from a heart attack.

All de womens in de wes' When dey heared of John Henry's death Stood in de rain, flagged de eas'-boun' train Goin' where John Henry fell dead Lawd, Lawd, goin' where John Henry fell dead
When the women of the west heard of John Henry's death, they went out to the tracks near where he passed away and waited in the rain for the east-bound train to pass.

John Henry's lil mother She was all dressed in red She jumped in bed, covered up her head Said she didn' know her son was dead Lawd, Lawd, didn' know her son was dead
John Henry's mother, still in shock over the news, was dressed in red and went to bed, where she hid under the covers in disbelief over her son's death.

John Henry had a pretty lil woman An' de dress she wo' was blue An' de las' wards she said to him "John Henry, I've been true to you Lawd, Lawd, John Henry I've been true to you"
John Henry had a beautiful woman with whom he was in a relationship, who wore a blue dress. Her last words to him were that she had always been loyal to him.

"Oh, who's gonna shoe yo' lil feetses An' who's gonna glub yo' han's An' who'g gonna kiss yo' rosy, rosy lips An' who's gonna be yo' man Lawd, Lawd, an' who's gonna be yo' man?"
John Henry's significant other is now without her lover and wonders who will take care of her and kiss her on her lips.

Dey took John Henry to de graveyard An' dey buried him in de san' An' every locomotive come roarin' by Says, "Dere lays a steel-drivin' man Lawd, Lawd, dere lays a steel-drivin' man"
John Henry was taken to the graveyard and buried among the sand. Every passing locomotive that roars by his final resting place acknowledges the memory of a hard-working man who drove steel.