“John Henry,” by Big Bill Broonzy

John Henry said to his captain,

“A man ain’t nothin’ but a man,

Before I let your steel drill beat me down

I will die with a hammer in my ___

I will die with a hammer in my hand.“ (X2)

John Henry said to his shaker***,

“Now man, why don’t you sing?

I’m shakin’ 12 pounds from my hips on down

Man don’t you hear that cold steel ____

Now don’t you hear that cold steel ring?” (X2)

John Henry hammered in the mountain,

And the mountain was so high,

And the last words that I heard that poor boy say,

“Will you gimme a cool drink of water before I ____

Gimme a cool drink of water before I die.” (X3)

John Henry went down that railroad track

With a 12 pound hammer by his side,

Yes, he went down the track but he never came back

Because he laid down his hammer and he ____

Yes he laid down his hammer and he died. (X2)

John Henry had a little woman,

And the dress that she wore was red,

And the last words that I heard that little girl say,

She said, “I’m goin’ to where John Henry fell ____

Yes, I’m goin’ to where John Henry fell dead.” (X4)

*** The steel is the drill rod or “drill steel,” and the “shaker” (a.k.a., “turner”) John Henry speaks to is an assistant who turns the steel a little bit between each hammer blow. These little shakes flip the rock dust out of the hole. The heat-tempered steel available in those days dulled after a few minutes at most, and the shaker had to snatch it out of the hole and insert another between hammer strokes.

Henry Thomas, “John Henry”

(Recorded in 1927, this is the earliest African American version with singing.)

John Henry got a letter,

Said his mother was dead.

Put all his children on a passenger train

He gonna ride the blinds, Lordy,

He gonna ride the blinds.

John Henry looked down those railroad tracks

Saw the steel driver comin’ down,

“‘Fore I let that steel driver beat me down

I will die with a hammer in my hand,

I will die with a hammer in my hand.”

John Henry went on the mountain top,

To give his horn a blow.

Last words his captain said:

“John Henry was a natural man,

John Henry was a natural man.”

John Henry had a woman,

The dress she wore was red.

She run on down that railroad track:

“I’m goin’ where John Henry fell dead,

Yes, I’m goin’ where John Henry fell dead.”

John Henry had a baby boy

Holdin’ his papa’s hand,

Last words he heard that poor boy say,

“I will learn to be a steel-drivin’ man,

Yes I’ll learn to be a steel-drivin’ man.”

John Henry, by Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston

John Henry when he was a baby
settin' on his mammy's knee
picked up a hammer in his little right hand
Said "Hammer be the death of me me me,
hammer be the death of me!" (X2)

Some said he's born in Texas
Some said he's born up in Maine
I just say he was a Louisiana man
Leader of a steel-driving chain gang
leader on a steel-driving gang (X2)

"Well", the captain said to John Henry
"I'm gonna bring my steam drill around,

gonna bring my steel drill out on this job,

and I’m gonna whup that steel on down down down
whup that steel on down!" (X2)

John Henry said to the captain (what he say?), “Bring your steam drill around,”
"You can bring your steam drill around
gonna bring my steam drill out on the job
I'll beat your steam drill down down down
beat your steam drill down!" (X2)

John Henry said to his shaker***
"Shaker you had better pray
If you miss your six feet of steel
Tomorrow’ll be your buryin' day day day
Tomorrow’ll be your buryin' day!" (X2)

Now the Shaker said to John Henry
"Well a man ain't nothing but a man,
I’m a throwin’ a hundred pounds from my hips on down, doin’ all that any man can can can, doin’ all that any man can.” (X2)

John Henry, by Leadbelly

John Henry was a newborn baby
Sitting down on his mama's knee.
Say "that Big Bend Tunnel on that Savannah Road.
It is going to be the death of me, Lord, Lord, it is gonna be the death of me." (2x)

John Henry had two women.
One was named Mary Magdalene.
She would go out on the job and she would sing,
"Can you hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord? Can you hear John Henry's hammer ring?" (2x)

John Henry had another little woman,
Her name was Miss Polly Ann.
John Henry taken sick, boy, and he had to go to bed.
Polly Ann drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord, Polly Ann drove steel like a man. (2x)

Before John Henry died, he called Polly Ann to his bedside; he wasn’t thinkin’ about Mary Magdalene, and this is what he wanted Polly Ann to tell him before he died:

”Baby, who's gonna shoe your little feet?
Tell me who's gonna glove your hand?
Tell me, who's going to kiss your sweet little lips?
Tell me, who's gonna be your man, Lord, Lord, tell me who's gonna be your man?” (2x)

She told him:
”My papa's gonna shoe my little feet,
My mama's gonna glove my hand.
My sister's gonna kiss my sweet little lips,
Now you know I don't need no man, Lord, Lord, you know I don't need no man.” (2x)

Then they take-ed John Henry to the White House,
They buried him in the sand,
And every locomotive comes a-rollin' by sayin',
"There lie that steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord, there lie that steel-drivin' man." (2x)

Spike Driver Blues, by Mississippi John Hurt

Take this hammer and carry it to my captain,

Tell him I’m gone, tell him I’m gone, tell him I’m gone. (X2)

I’m sure he’s gone.

This is the hammer that killed John Henry,

But it won’t kill me, but it won’t kill me, but it won’t kill me. (X2)

Ain’t gonna kill me.

It’s a long ways from East Colorado,

Honey to my home, honey to my home, honey to my home. (X2)

That’s where I’m gone.

John Henry left his hammer,

Laying’ beside the road, layin’ ‘side the road, layin’ ‘side the road (X2)

John Henry he left his hammer,

All over and ran, all over and ran, all over and ran. (X2)

That’s why I’m gone.

John Henry, he’s a steel-drivin’ boy,

But he went down, but he went down, but he went down. (X2)

That’s why I’m gone.

John Henry, by Mississippi Fred MacDowell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GNI2K3-ec

John Henry was a steel-drivin’ man, (X2)

John Henry got a hammer in his hand, (X2)

John Henry was a steel-drivin’ man.

John Henry said just before he died,

“Where are the two more roads that I want to ride?”

“Lord God,” John Henry said

“Lord God,” John Henry said ‘fore he died.

“Lord, there are two more roads I want to ride.”

“Lordy, Lord!”

“Lord!” he went.

Lord I got up one morning,

Well, it looked like rain,

I looked around that curb,

Caught my passenger train.

“Lord, God!”

“Lord God!” John Henry said before he died.

“Lord, there’s two more roads I want to ride.”

John Henry had a wife,

The dress she wore was red.

Last words I heard her say,

“I’m goin’ to where Johnny fell dead.”

“Lord I’m, Lord I’m goin’,”

“Lord I’m, Lord I’m goin’ to where John Henry fell dead” (X2)

John Lee Hooker, “John Henry”

John Henry, John Henry, John Henry, John Henry

Laid down and died, laid down and died,

People kept a’ comin’ miles around

To hear John Henry’s hammer, to hear his hammer ring

Hear his hammer ring.

John Henry, John Henry, John Henry, John Henry

Worked from sun to sun, worked from sun to sun,

Hammer ringin’, ringin’ from sun to sun, ringin’ from sun to sun.

“Yes, I ring this old hammer,

Ring it till my dyin’ day, ring it till my dyin’ day.”

I said people for miles around come all around just to hear John Henry,

Hear that hammer ring, hear that hammer ring,

Down, down, down

Lay that hammer down, lay that hammer down, lay that hammer down.

“Yes, I’m gonna ring! Yes, I’m gonna ring!

Ring this old hammer, ring this old hammer,

Ring it till my dyin’ day.”

Lay that hammer down!

Whop! Whop! Whop!

Lay that hammer down!

John Henry, by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee

John Henry was a little baby, sitting on his daddy's knee,
Pointed his figured at a little piece of steel,
"Steel's gonna be the death of me.” (X4)

John Henry drivin’ on the right hand side,

Steel drill drivin’ on the left,

Before I will let your steam drill beat me down,

I will drive my poor self to death. (X2)

John Henry had a little woman,
Dress she wore was blue,

She run down the track

And she never looked back,

She said, “John I been true to you.

John Henry, I been true to you.” (X2)

John Henry drove steel on the Southern
He drove steel on the C&O.
He drove steel for that Big Ben Tunnel
Steel drivin' kill John you know,
Steel drivin' kill John you know. (X2)

John Henry had another woman.

Her name was Polly Ann.

John Henry got sick and he had to go to bed,

Polly, she drove steel like a man. (X2)

Well they carried John Henry onto a mountain,

Up on a mountain so high,

Last words I heard that poor boy say,

“Gimme a cool drink of water ‘fore I die,

Gimme a cool drink of water ‘fore I die.” (X4)

They carried John Henry’s body to the Whitehouse

And they laid it in the sand,

Everytime a locomotive would come rollin' by,
”Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man,
Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man.” (X3)

Take This Hammer

Take this hammer, and carry it to the captain
Take this hammer, and carry it to the captain
Take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Tell him I'm gone
Tell him I'm gone

If he asks you was I runnin'
If he asks you was I runnin'
If he asks you was I runnin'
Tell him I was flyin'
Tell him I was flyin'

If he asks you was I laughin'
If he asks you was I laughin'
If he asks you was I laughin'
Tell him I was cryin'
Tell him I was cryin'

Corrina Blues, Taj Mahal

I got a bird what whistles, baby got a bird

Honey got a bird ... it would sing.

Baby got a bird, honey got a bird ... it would sing.

Without Corrina, sure don't mean, sure don't mean a natural thing.

I learned to love you

Baby ‘fore I called, honey ‘fore I called your name,

I wouldn’t trade your love for money,

Honey your my warm heart’s, baby your my warm heart’s flame.

Have mercy, have mercy,

Baby on my hard luck, mama on my hard luck soul,

I got a rainbow ‘round my shoulder

Shine like silver, baby look like Klondike gold.

I got a bird what whistles, baby got a bird

Honey got a bird ... it would sing.

Baby got a bird, honey got a bird ... it would sing.

Without my Corrina, sure don't mean, sure don't mean a natural thing.

Corrina, Corrina, Corrina

If I Had a Hammer

words and music by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger

If I had a hammer

I'd hammer in the morning

I'd hammer in the evening

All over this land

I'd hammer out danger

I'd hammer out a warning

I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters

All over this land

If I had a bell

I'd ring it in the morning

I'd ring it in the evening

All over this land

I'd ring out danger

I'd ring out a warning

I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters

All over this land

If I had a song

I'd sing it in the morning

I'd sing it in the evening

All over this land

I'd sing out danger

I'd sing out a warning

I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters

All over this land

Well I've got a hammer

And I've got a bell

And I've got a song to sing

All over this land

It's the hammer of justice

It's the bell of freedom

It's the song about love between my brothers and my sisters

All over this land

John Henry was a railroad man,

He worked from six 'till five,

"Raise 'em up bullies and let 'em drop down,

I'll beat you to the bottom or die."

John Henry said to his captain:

"You are nothing but a common man,

Before that steam drill shall beat me down,

I'll die with my hammer in my hand."

John Henry said to the Shakers:

"You must listen to my call,

Before that steam drill shall beat me down,

I'll jar these mountains till they fall."

John Henry's captain said to him:

"I believe these mountains are caving in."

John Henry said to his captain: "Oh, Lord!"

"That's my hammer you hear in the wind."

John Henry he said to his captain:

"Your money is getting mighty slim,

When I hammer through this old mountain,

Oh Captain will you walk in?"

John Henry's captain came to him

With fifty dollars in his hand,

He laid his hand on his shoulder and said:

"This belongs to a steel driving man."

John Henry was hammering on the right side,

The big steam drill on the left,

Before that steam drill could beat him down,

He hammered his fool self to death.

They carried John Henry to the mountains,

From his shoulder his hammer would ring,

She caught on fire by a little blue blaze

I believe these old mountains are caving in.

John Henry was lying on his death bed,

He turned over on his side,

And these were the last words John Henry said

"Bring me a cool drink of water before I die."

John Henry had a little woman,

Her name was Pollie Ann,

He hugged and kissed her just before he died,

Saying, "Pollie, do the very best you can."

John Henry's woman heard he was dead,

She could not rest on her bed,

She got up at midnight, caught that No. 4 train,

"I am going where John Henry fell dead."

They carried John Henry to that new burying ground

His wife all dressed in blue,

She laid her hand on John Henry's cold face,

"John Henry I've been true to you."

A Construction Crew Version of John Henry

http://www.ibiblio.org/john_henry/index.html

Another early version of the John Henry ballad collected by Johnson was obtained from Leon R. Harris of Moline, Ill. Mr. Harris, apparently an itinerant construction worker, claimed he first heard this version in 1909 while part of the crew building the Birmingham Power Co.'s plant at Birmingham, Ala.

Lissen to my story;

'Tis a story true;

'Bout a might man, --John Henry was his name,

An' John Henry was a steel-driver too--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

John Henry was a steel-driver too.

John Henry had a hammah;

Weighed nigh fo'ty poun';

Eb'ry time John made a strike

He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down.

John Henry's woman, Lucy,--

Dress she wore was blue;

Eyes like stars an' teeth lak-a marble stone,

An' John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too.

Lucy came to see him;

Bucket in huh han';

All th' time John Henry ate his snack,

O Lucy she'd drive steel lak-a man,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

O Lucy she'd drive steel lak-a man.

John Henry's cap'n Tommy,--

V'ginny gave him birth;

Loved John Henry like his only son,

And Cap' Tommy was the whitest man on earth,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Cap' Tommy was th' whitest man on earth.

One day Cap' Tommy told him

How he'd bet a man;

Bet John Henry'd beat a steam-drill down,

Jes' cause he was th' best in th' lan',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

'Cause he was th' best in th' lan.

John Henry tol' Cap' Tommy;

Lightnin' in his eye;

"Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me,

Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die."

"Co'n pone's in my stomach;

Hammah's in my han';

Haint no steam-drill on dis railroad job

Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man,

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man."

"Bells ring on de engines;

Runnin' down th' line;

Dinnahs done when Lucy pulls th' c'od;

But no hammah in this mountain rings like mine,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

No hammah in this mountain rings like mine."

Sun shined hot an' burning'

Wer'n't no breeze at-tall;

Sweat ran down like watah down a hill

That day John Henry let his hammah fall,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

That day John Henry let his hammah fall.

John Henry kissed his hammah;

White Man turned on steam;

Li'l Bill held John Henry's trusty steel,--

'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen.

White Man tol' John Henry,--

"Niggah, dam yo' soul,

You might beat dis steam an' drill o' mine

When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol'."

John Henry tol' th' white man;

Tol' him kind-a sad:

"Cap'n George I want-a be yo' fr'en;

If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don't git mad,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

If I beat yo' to th' bottom don't git mad."

Cap' Tommy sees John Henry's

Steel a-bitin' in;

Cap'n slaps John Henry on th' back,

Says, "I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win."

White Man saw John Henry's

Steel a-goin' down;

White Man says,--"That man's a mighty man,

But he'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun'."

John Henry, O John Henry,--

John Henry's hammah too;

When a woman's 'pendin' on a man

Haint no tellin' what a might man can do,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

No tellin' what a mighty man can do.

John Henry, O, John Henry!

Blood am runnin' red!

Falls right down with his hammah to th' groun',

Says, "I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead."

John Henry kissed his hammah;

Kissed it with a groan;

Sighed a sigh an' closed his weary eyes,

Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Po' Lucy has no man to call huh own.

Cap' Tommy came a-runnin'

To John Henry's side;

Says, "Lawd, Lawd,--O Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawd,--

He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died."

Lucy ran to see him;

Dress she wore was blue;

Started down th' track an' she nevvah did turn back,

Sayin', "John Henry, I'll be true--true to you,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

John Henry, I'll be true--true to you."

John Henry, O, John Henry!

Sing it if yo' can,--

High an' low an' ev'ry where yo' go,--

He died with his hammah in his han',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He died with his hammah in his han'.

Buddie, where'd yo' come from

To this railroad job?

If yo' wantta be a good steel-drivin' man,

Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo' God,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo God.

Some say he's from Georgia,

Some say he's from Alabam,

But it's wrote on the rock at the Big Ben Tunnel,

That he's an East Virginia Man,

That he's an East Virginia man.

John Henry was a steel drivin' man,

He died with a hammah in his han',

Oh, come along boys and line the track

For John Henry ain't never comin' back,

For John Henry ain't never comin' back.

John Henry he could hammah,

He could whistle, he could sing,

He went to the mountain early in the mornin'

To hear his hammah ring,

To hear his hammah ring.

John Henry went to the section boss,

Says the section boss what kin you do?

Says I can line a track, I kin histe a jack,

I kin pick and shovel too,

I kin pick and shovel too.

John Henry told the cap'n,

When you go to town,

Buy me a nine pound hammah

An' I'll drive this steel drill down,

An' I'll drive this steel drill down.

Cap'n said to John Henry,

You've got a willin' mind.

But you just well lay yoh hammah down,

You'll nevah beat this drill of mine,

You'll nevah beat this drill of mine.

John Henry went to the tunnel

And they put him in lead to drive,

The rock was so tall and John Henry so small

That he laid down his hammah and he cried,

That he laid down his hammah and he cried.

The steam drill was on the right han' side,

John Henry was on the left,

Says before I let this steam drill beat me down,

I'll hammah myself to death,

I'll hammah myself to death.

Oh the cap'n said to John Henry,

I bleeve this mountain's sinkin' in.

John Henry said to the cap'n, Oh my!

Tain't nothin' but my hammah suckin' wind,

Tain't nothin' but my hammah suckin' wind.

John Henry had a cute liddle wife,

And her name was Julie Ann,

And she walk down the track and nevah look back,

Goin' to see her brave steel drivin' man,

Goin' to see her brave steel drivin' man.

John Henry had a pretty liddle wife,

She come all dressed in blue.

And the last words she said to him,

John Henry I been true to you,

John Henry I been true to you.

John Henry was on the mountain,

The mountain was so high,

He called to his pretty liddle wife,

Said Ah kin almos' touch the sky,

Said Ah kin almos' touch the sky.

Who gonna shoe yoh pretty liddle feet,

Who gonna glove yoh han',

Who gonna kiss yoh rosy cheeks,

An' who gonna be yoh man,

An' who gonna be yoh man?

Papa gonna shoe my pretty liddle feet,

Mama gonna glove my han',

Sistah gonna kiss my rosy cheeks,

An' I ain't gonna have no man,

An' I ain't gonna have no man.

Then John Henry told huh,

Don't you weep an' moan,

I got ten thousand dollars in the First National Bank,

I saved it to buy you a home,

I saved it to buy you a home.

John Henry took his liddle boy,

Sit him on his knee,

Said that Big Ben Tunnel

Gonna be the death of me,

Gonna be the death of me.

John Henry took that liddle boy,

Helt him in the pahm of his han',

And the last words he said to that chile was,

I want you to be a steel drivin' man,

I want you to be a steel drivin' man.

John Henry ast that liddle boy,

Now what are you gonna be?

Says if I live and nothin' happen,

A steel drivin' man I'll be,

A steel drivin' man I'll be.

Then John Henry he did hammah,

He did make his hammah soun',

Says now one more lick fore quittin' time,

An' I'll beat this steam drill down,

An' I'll beat this steam drill down.

The hammah that John Henry swung,

It weighed over nine poun',

He broke a rib in his left han' side,

And his intrels fell on the groun',

And his intrels fell on the groun'.

All the women in the West

That heard of John Henry's death,

Stood in the rain, flagged the east bound train,

Goin' where John Henry dropped dead,

Goin' where John Henry dropped dead.

John Henry's liddle mother

Was all dressed in red,

She jumped in bed, covered up her head,

Said I didn't know my boy was dead,

Said I didn't know my boy was dead.

They took John Henry to the White House,

And buried him in the san',

And every locomotive come roarin' by,

Says there lays that steel drivin' man,

Says there lays that steel drivin' man.

When John Henry was a little boy,

Sitting upon his father's knee,

His father said, "Look here, my boy,

You must be a steel driving man like me,

You must be a steel driving man like me."

John Henry went upon the mountain,

Just to drive himself some steel.

The rocks was so tall and John Henry so small,

He said lay down hammer and squeal,

He said lay down hammer and squeal.

John Henry had a little wife,

And the dress she wore was red;

The last thing before he died,

He said, "Be true to me when I'm dead,

Oh, be true to me when I'm dead."

John Henry's wife ask him for fifteen cents,

And he said he didn't have but a dime,

Said, "If you wait till the rising sun goes down,

I'll borrow it from the man in the mine,

I'll borrow it from the man in the mind."

John Henry started on the right-hand side,

And the steam drill started on the left.

He said, "Before I'd let that steam drill beat me down,

I'd hammer my fool self to death,

Oh, I'd hammer my fool self to death."

The steam drill started at half past six,

John Henry started the same time.

John Henry stuck bottom at half past eight,

And the steam drill didn't bottom till nine,

Oh, the steam drill didn't bottom till nine.

John Henry said to his captain,

"A man, he ain't nothing but a man,

Before I'd let that steam drill beat me down,

Oh, I'd die with the hammer in my hand."

John Henry said to his shaker,

"Shaker, why don't you sing just a few more rounds?

And before the setting sun goes down,

You're gonna hear this hammer of mine sound,

You're gonna hear this hammer of mine sound."

John Henry hammered on the mountain,

He hammered till half past three,

He said, "This big Bend Tunnel on the C. & O. road

Is going to be the death of me,

Lord! Is going to be the death of me.!"

John Henry had a little baby boy,

You could hold him in the palm of your hand.

The last words before he died,

"Son, you must be a steel driving man,

Son, you must be a steel driving man."

John Henry had a little woman,

And the dress she wore was red,

She went down the railroad track and never came back,

Said she was going where John Henry fell dead,

Said she was going where John Henry fell dead.

John Henry hammering on the mountain

As the whistle blew for half past two,

The last word I heard him say,

"Captain, I've hammered my insides in two,

Lord, I've hammered my insides in two."

“Will you gimme a cool drink of water before I ____

John Henry, John Henry, John Henry, John Henry

John Henry, John Henry, John Henry, John Henry

John Henry, by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee

And she never looked back,

Take This Hammer

Without Corrina, sure don't mean, sure don't mean a natural thing.

John Henry, The Steel-Drivin Man