sitting on his mammy's knee.
Well, he picked up a hammer
and a little piece of steel,
said, it's gonna be the death of me.
Well, it's gonna be the death of me.
Captain said to John Henry,
I'm gonna bring my steam drill around,
I'm gonna bring my steam drill out on the job,
I'm gonna whup that steel on down,
Lord, Lord, whup that steel on down.
John Henry said to his boss man,
he said a man ain't nothing but a man,
steam drill beat me down,
I'll die with this hammer in my hand,
John Henry said to his shaker,
he said shaker why don't you sing,
you know I'm swinging nine pounds
just listen to the cold steel ring.
John Henry said to his shaker,
he said shaker why don't you pray,
you know that if my hammer misses
that little piece of steel
and tomorrow be your burying day,
tomorrow be your burying day.
Well the captain said to John Henry,
John Henry laughed at his captain
and he said it ain't nothing
but my hammer sucking wind,
it ain't nothing but my hammer
Well John Henry said to the captain,
well look yonder what I see.
you're drill done broken,
you can't drive steel like me,
well you can't drive steel like me.
Well, man who invented that steam drill,
He thought he was mighty fine.
But John Henry drove down
And the steam drill only made nine.
Steam drill only made nine.
But John Henry hammered that morning,
Until his hammer was striking fire.
that he broke his poor heart
An d laid down his hammer
And he laid down his hammer and he died
Well they took John Henry
And they buried him in the sand
And every locomotive comes
Say there lays a steel -drivin' man
Well, now, there lays a steel -drivin' man
He was a steel -drivin' man
He was a steel -drivin' man
