When John Henry was
a little baby
Sittin' on his pappy's knee
He picked up a hammer and
a little piece of steel
Said, hammer gonna be the death of me,
Lord, Lord
Hammer gonna be the death of me
Well, the captain, said to John Henry
I'm gonna bring the
esteemed drill round
I'm gonna take that steam
drill out on the job
I'm gonna whop that steel on down,
Lord, Lord, whop that steel on down
Well, Henry said to his captain,
Now a man ain't nothin' but a man
Before I let that steam
drill beat me down
I'm gonna die with this hammer in my hand,
Lord, Lord,
die with this hammer in my hand
So the captain said to John Henry,
I do believe this mountain's sinkin' in
John Henry said to his captain,
why man, it's only my hammer suckin' wind, Lord,
Lord, only my hammer suckin' wind
Well, John Henry, he drove fifteen feet,
steam drill, it only made nine
But he drove so hard
that he broke his poor heart
And he laid down his hammer and he died,
Lord, Lord
Laid down his hammer and he died
Now they took John Henry
to the graveyard
They buried his body in the sand
And every locomotive come
a -roarin' by
Singin' there lies a steel drivin' man,
Lord, Lord
There lies a steel -drivin' man
There lies that steel -drivin'
There lies that steel -drivin'
There lies that steel -drivin' man