Lyrics:

Johnny Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight
He said 'Before the sheriff comes I wanna tell you,' Said 'Listen boy
Learn to hoist a jack and learn to lay a track learn to pick and shovel too
And take that hammer, It'll do anything you tell it to.'

John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies
John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times
The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money
He said, 'I'll pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrow
that's the pay for a steel driver on this line.'

Then the section foreman said, 'Hey! Hammer-swinger!
I see you your own hammer boy but, what all can them muscles do?' and he said,
'I can turn a jack I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too.'
'Can you swing a hammer, boy?' 'Yes sir, I'll do anything you hire me to.'

Spoken:
'Now ain't you somethin'! So high and mighty with all that muscle! Just go
ahead, boy. Pick up that hammer, pick up the hammer!'

He said to get a rusted spike and swing it down three times
I'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it to
Go on and do what you say you can do

With a steel-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle
John Henry raised it back til' it touched his heels then
The spike went through the cross-tie and split it half in two
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel
'Sweat! Sweat, boy! Sweat! Only two more swings!'
'I was born drivin' steel'

Well John Henry hammered in the mountain
He'd give a grunt he give a groan every swing
The women-folks from miles around heard him and come down
To watch make the coal-steel ring 'Lord! What a swinger!
Watch him make the coal-steel ring'

But the bad boys came up laughin' at