John Henry
Traditional, arranged and adapted by Andrew Calhoun, Recorded on Grapevine.
with information adapted from Scott Reynold Nelson's book, Steel Drivin' Man.
A young man from New Jersey,
Just hungry for a meal
Got picked up down in Prince George County,
Ten years in a Richmond jail
Lord God,
Ten years in a Richmond jail
They sent John Henry to the mountain
To work for the Railroad then
People come from far and near
Just to see the steel drivin' men
Well every monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
You could hear those hammers a mile or more
You could hear john henry's hammer ring
Captain told John Henry,
"Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round,
Gonna take that steam drill out on the job,
Gonna whop that steel on down."
John Henry told his captain,
"Go bring your steam drill round
Go take your steam drill out on the job
I can beat your steam drill down."
Captain told John Henry
"Boy, God damn your soul,
You might beat this steam drill of mine,
When the rocks in this mountain turn to gold."
John Henry told his captain,
"A man ain't nothin' but a man.
Before I let a steam drill beat me down
I"ll die with my hammer in my hand."
Captain told John Henry,
"Tell you what I'm gonna do,
You beat my steam drill to fifteen feet
I'll have 'em pardon you."
John Henry kissed his hammer,
White man turned on steam
Willie held John Henry's trusty steel
It was the biggest race Virginia ever seen.
John Henry told his shaker,
"Willie, why don't you sing?
I'm throwin' nine pounds from my hips on down,
Listen to the cold steel ring."
John Henry told his shaker,
"My brother, you better pray,
If I miss the drivin' spike
Tomorrow be your buryin' day."
Captain told John Henry,
"Can't you hear the tunnel cavin' in?"
John Henry shout to his captain, "Oh my,
Ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind."
John Henry told his captain,
"Looky yonder what l see,
Your drill's done broke an' your hole's done choke,
An' you can't drive steel like me."
The man who invented the steam drill,
Thought he was mighty fine.
John Henry drove by fourteen feet,
While the steam drill only made nine.
John Henry was hammerin' in the mountain,
And his hammer was strikin' fire,
He drove so hard that he broke his poor heart, saying
"Cool drink of water 'fore I die."
John Henry had an old lady
Dress she wore was red
Well she started up the track and she never looked back
"I'm goin' where my man fell dead."
Here come John Henry's lady
Her name was Polly Ann
She took up John Henry's hammer
Drive one more foot like a man.
They carried John Henry to the prison
And lowered him down in the sand
Every locomotive come roaring by says,
"There lies a steel-drivin' man."