AL - Alabama

John Henry - Traditional

 John Henry was a little baby

Sitting on his mama's knee

He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel

Cried, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord Lord

Hammer's gonna be the death of me"

John Henry said to his shaker,

"Shaker, why don't you sing?

I'm slinging thirty pounds from my hips on down

Just listen to that cold steel ring ring ring

Listen to that cold steel ring"

The captain said to John Henry

"Gonna bring that steam drill around

Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job,

gonna whop that cold steel down, down, down

Whop that steel on down"

John Henry said to the captain,

"Well a man ain't nothing but a man,

But before I let your steam drill beat me down,

I'd die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord

I'd die with a hammer in my hand"

The man that invented the steam drill

Thought it was mighty fine

But John Henry made fifteen feet

And the steam drill only made nine,

The steam drill only made nine

John Henry hammered in the mountain

His hammer was striking fire

But he worked so hard he broke his poor heart

He laid down his hammer and he died

He laid down his hammer and he died

John Henry had a little woman

Her name was Polly Ann

She walked out to the tracks, picked up his hammer

Polly Ann drove steel like a man, man, man

Polly Ann drove steel like a man

Now every Monday morning

When the bluebird begins to sing

Every locomotive that come rolling by hollers,

"There lies steel driven by a man, Lord Lord

There lies steel driven by a man