Lyrics:

One, two, three

Well, John Henry was a little baby

Sittin' on his dady's knee

He pick up a hammer and a little piece of steel,

And cried, 'Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord

Hammer's gonna be the death of me'



Now the captain he said to John Henry,

'I'm gonna bring that steam drill 'round

I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks

I'm gonna knock that steel on down, God, God

Gonna knock that steel on down'



John Henry told his captain,

'Lord, man ain't nothin' but a man

Before I let that steam drill beat me down

I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord

Die with a hammer in my hand'

Violin Soozie!



John Henry driving on the right side

That steam drill driving on the left

Says, 'Before I'll let your steam drill beat me down

I'm gonna hammer myself to death, Lord, Lord

I'll hammer my fool self to death'



Well, captain said to John Henry,

'What is that storm I hear?'

John Henry said, 'That ain't no storm

Captain, that's just my hammer in the air, Lord, Lord

That's just my hammer in the air'



John Henry said to his shaker

'Shaker, why don't you sing?

'Cause I'm swigin' thirty pounds from my hips on down

Yeah, listen to my cold steel ring, Lord, Lord

Listen to my cold steel ring'

Come on accordion now!



I wanna hear that banjo too!



???

Now John Henry, he hammered in the mountains

His hammer was striking fire

But he worked so hard, he broke his heart

John Henry laid his hammer and died, Lord, Lord

John Henry laid down his hammer and died



Well, now John Henry, he had him a woman

Her name was Polly Ann

She walked down to those tracks, picked up John Henry's hammer

Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord

Polly drove that steel like a man

Hey!



Well every, every Monday morning

When the bluebird he begin to sing

You can hear John Henry from a mile or more

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring

say it again!



So you can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring

Come on! Woah!