- Lissen to my story;
'Tis a story true;
'Bout a might man, --John Henry was his name,
An' John Henry was a steel-driver too--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
John Henry was a steel-driver too.
- John Henry had a hammah;
Weighed nigh fo'ty poun';
Eb'ry time John made a strike
He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down.
- John Henry's woman, Lucy,--
Dress she wore was blue;
Eyes like stars an' teeth lak-a marble stone,
An' John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too.
- Lucy came to see him;
Bucket in huh han';
All th' time John Henry ate his snack,
O Lucy she'd drive steel lak-a man,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
O Lucy she'd drive steel lak-a man.
- John Henry's cap'n Tommy,--
V'ginny gave him birth;
Loved John Henry like his only son,
And Cap' Tommy was the whitest man on earth,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Cap' Tommy was th' whitest man on earth.
- One day Cap' Tommy told him
How he'd bet a man;
Bet John Henry'd beat a steam-drill down,
Jes' cause he was th' best in th' lan',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
'Cause he was th' best in th' lan.
- John Henry tol' Cap' Tommy;
Lightnin' in his eye;
"Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me,
Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die."
- "Co'n pone's in my stomach;
Hammah's in my han';
Haint no steam-drill on dis railroad job
Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man,
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man."
- "Bells ring on de engines;
Runnin' down th' line;
Dinnahs done when Lucy pulls th' c'od;
But no hammah in this mountain rings like mine,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
No hammah in this mountain rings like mine."
- Sun shined hot an' burning'
Wer'n't no breeze at-tall;
Sweat ran down like watah down a hill
That day John Henry let his hammah fall,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
That day John Henry let his hammah fall.
- John Henry kissed his hammah;
White Man turned on steam;
Li'l Bill held John Henry's trusty steel,--
'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen.
- White Man tol' John Henry,--
"Niggah, dam yo' soul,
You might beat dis steam an' drill o' mine
When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol'."
- John Henry tol' th' white man;
Tol' him kind-a sad:
"Cap'n George I want-a be yo' fr'en;
If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don't git mad,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
If I beat yo' to th' bottom don't git mad."
- Cap' Tommy sees John Henry's
Steel a-bitin' in;
Cap'n slaps John Henry on th' back,
Says, "I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win."
- White Man saw John Henry's
Steel a-goin' down;
White Man says,--"That man's a mighty man,
But he'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun'."
- John Henry, O John Henry,--
John Henry's hammah too;
When a woman's 'pendin' on a man
Haint no tellin' what a might man can do,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
No tellin' what a mighty man can do.
- John Henry, O, John Henry!
Blood am runnin' red!
Falls right down with his hammah to th' groun',
Says, "I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead."
- John Henry kissed his hammah;
Kissed it with a groan;
Sighed a sigh an' closed his weary eyes,
Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Po' Lucy has no man to call huh own.
- Cap' Tommy came a-runnin'
To John Henry's side;
Says, "Lawd, Lawd,--O Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawd,--
He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died."
- Lucy ran to see him;
Dress she wore was blue;
Started down th' track an' she nevvah did turn back,
Sayin', "John Henry, I'll be true--true to you,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
John Henry, I'll be true--true to you."
- John Henry, O, John Henry!
Sing it if yo' can,--
High an' low an' ev'ry where yo' go,--
He died with his hammah in his han',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He died with his hammah in his han'.
- Buddie, where'd yo' come from
To this railroad job?
If yo' wantta be a good steel-drivin' man,
Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo' God,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo God.
