JOAN BAEZ lyrics - John Henry

(Traditional)



When John Henry was a little baby boy, sitting on the his papa's knee

Well he picked up a hammer and little piece of steel

Said Hammer's gonna be the death of me, lord, lord

Hammer's gonna be the death of mine



The captain said to John Henry

I'm gonna bring that steam drill around

I'm gonna bring that sterm drill out on the job

I'm gonna whup that steel on down



John Henry told his captain

Lord a man ain't nothing but a man

But before I'd let your steam drill beat me down

I'd die with a hammer in my hand



John Henry asid to his shaker

Shaker why don't you sing

Because I'm swinging thirty pounds from my hips on down

Just listen to that cold steel ring



Now the captain said to John Henry

I believe that mountain's caving in

John Henry said right back to the captain

Ain't nothing but my hammer sucking wind



Now the man that invented the steam drill

He thought he was mighty fine

But John Henry srove fifteen feet

The steam drill only made nine



John Henry hammered in the mountains

His hammer was striking fire

But he worked so hard, it broke his poor heart

And he laid down his hammerand he died



NOw John Henry had a little woman

Her name was polly Anne

John Henry took sick and had to go to bed

Polly Anne drove steel like a man



John Henry had a little baby

You could hold him in the palm of your hand

And the last words I heard that poor boy say

My daddy was a steel driving man



So every Monday morning

When the blue dirds begin to sing

You can hear John Henry a mile or more

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring