John Henry
Leadbelly Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee Lyrics

John Henry was about three days old,
John Henry was only three days old when he was on his father's lap.

Sittin' on his papa's knee.
Sitting comfortably on his father's lap.

He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel;
As a baby, John Henry picked up a hammer and piece of steel from the ground.

Said, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord.
John Henry knew that working with a hammer would be dangerous.

The captain said to John Henry
The captain of a construction team spoke to John Henry.

"Gonna bring that steam drill 'round.
The captain wanted to bring a steam drill to the construction site.

Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job.
The captain planned on using the steam drill to do the work.

Gonna whop that steel on down. Down,
The captain wanted to use the steam drill to finish the construction quickly.

John Henry told his captain,
John Henry responded to the captain.

"A man ain't nothin' but a man,
John Henry believed that all men are equal.

But before I let your steam drill beat me
However, John Henry would rather work with his hammer than be beaten by the steam drill.

Down, I'd die with a hammer in my hand. Lord, Lord.
John Henry was willing to die with a hammer in his hand rather than lose to the steam drill.

John Henry said to his shaker,
John Henry spoke to his assistant, who was holding the steel in place.

"Shaker, why don't you sing?
John Henry asked his assistant to sing while they work together.

I'm throwin' thirty pounds from my hips on
John Henry was using all of his strength to swing the hammer.

Down. Just listen to that cold steel ring. Lord, Lord.
The sound of the hammer hitting the cold steel was music to John Henry's ears.

The man that invented the stream drill
The person who invented the steam drill.

Thought he was mighty fine,
He was very proud of his invention.

But John Henry made fifteen feet;
John Henry was able to dig fifteen feet in a day with his hammer.

The steam drill only made nine. Lord, Lord.
The steam drill was only able to dig nine feet in the same amount of time.

John Henry hammered in the mountain,
John Henry worked in the mountains, he was a miner.

His hammer was striking fire.
He was working so hard the fire was sparking from his hammer.

But he worked so hard, he broke his poor heart.
John Henry worked himself to death.

He laid down his hammer and he died. Lord, Lord.
John Henry died after working so hard.

John Henry had a little woman.
John Henry had a wife named Polly Ann.

Her name was Polly Ann.
The name of John Henry's wife was Polly Ann.

John Henry took sick and went to his bed.
John Henry fell ill and was unable to work.

Polly Ann drove steel like a man. Lord,
Polly Ann worked hard and took on John Henry's role on the construction site.

Polly Ann drove steel like a man. Lord, Lord.
Polly Ann was a strong worker and took on the challenge of construction work.

John Henry had a little baby.
John Henry and Polly Ann had a child.

You could hold him in the palm of your Hand.
Their child was so small that you could hold him in one hand.

The last words I heard that poor boy say, "My daddy was steel-driving man. Lord, Lord.
The last words of John Henry's child were about his father being a hardworking steel driver.

Well, every Monday morning
At the beginning of every week.

When the bluebirds begin to sing.
When the bluebirds start to sing in the morning.

You can hear John Henry a mile or more.
You can hear the sound of John Henry's hammer from far away.

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring.
The sound of John Henry's hammer hitting steel can be heard echoing through the valley.