This version was submitted by Sean, from Dublin, Ireland. It was recorded in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, LA, by Dr. Harry Oster, 1959 and is available on Prison Worksongs, Arhoolie 448.
- John Henry had a little woman,
and they called her Polly Ann,
Well who gonna glove her pretty little feet,
Mama, I'm gonna glove yo hand,
Yea I'm gonna glove yo hand.
- John Henry told his captain,
Says "Captain when you go to town,
Bring me back a twelve pound hammer,
So I can drive your steel on down.
Lawd, Lawd, I can drive your steel on down."
- John Henry said to his captain,
"Oh Captain - a man ain't nothin but a man,
Just before I die with the hammer in my hand,
Lawd, Lawd, I'll die with the hammer in my hand."
- It's, "Big black negro*" when I'm gone,
And it's "Honey, darlin" when I'm home,
But as soon as I get a twenty dollar bill,
It's "Baby, where you been so long?"
Lawd, Lawd, it's "Baby, where you been so long?"
- John Henry says to his mother,
Says "A man ain't nothin but a man,
Before I let this steam beat me down,
Lawd, I'll die with this hammer in my hand,
Lawd, Lawd, I'll die with this hammer in my hand."
- John Henry, Oh John Henry,
John Henry was taken sick,
And Polly drove steel like a man,
Lawd, Lawd, and Polly drove steel like a man.
- John Henry said to his father,
"If there's one more train I want to ride,
That's the Santa Fe, and the Southern Pacific,
On that I.C. Railroad line,
On that I.C. Railroad line,
Oh Lawd, that I.C. Railroad line."
This version was submitted by Mr. Floyd Stough. He researched the history of John Henry and put together this version from what he learned from his dad when he was a kid along with input from about 50 years of going to bluegrass festivals.
JOHN HENRY
When John Henry was a little bitty baby
No bigger than the palm of your hand
His daddy looked down at Johnnie and said
Johnnie’s going to be a steel driving man
Lawd, Lawdy
Johnnie’s going to be a steel driving man
When John Henry was a little bitty baby
Sitting on his dady’s knee
Well, he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
He said This hammer’s going to be the death of me
Lawd, Lawdy
This hammer’s going to be the death of me!
Mr. Peabody bought a steam hammer.
He brought it to the end of the track.
Then he said bring out your best
We’re gonna’ have us a test
And if my hammer wins the rest of you can pack
Lawd Lawdy
If my hammer wins, the rest of you can pack.
John Henry Went to the tunnel to drive
Steam hammer by his side
He said Before I would let that steam hammer get me down
You know I’d lay down this hammer and I’d die
Lawd Lawdy
I’d lay down this hammer and I’d die
Now the straw boss came to John Henry
He cried This tunnel is caving in
John Henry just laughed at the strawboss and said,
That’s nothing but my hammer sucking wind
Lawd, Lawdy,
That ain’t nothing but my hammer sucking wind.
John Henry turned to the straw boss.
He said, "Lawd knows how hard I tried.
I done my best but that hammer is fast.
Please gimme a cool glass of water 'fore I die!
Lawd, Lawdy.
Gimme a cool glass of water 'fore I die!
Mr. Peabody wanted a measure
So they brought out the tape so fine
John Henry laid down 12 feet of cold hard track
The tell me that the hammer just laid 9
Lawd, Lawdy
They tell me that the hammer just laid 9.
John Henry had a sweet little wife
Her name was Polly Ann
When Johnnie got sick and
He had to go to bed
Poly drove that steel just like a man
Lawd, Lawdy
Poly drove that steel just like a man
John Henry died in the evening
Left his poor widow to cry
Well, they laid John Henry by the railroad track
So he could hear the trains go rumbling by
Lawd, Lawdy
So he could hear the trains go rumbling by.
John Henry was a steel driving man
He drove steel all over this land
And every time a train goes rumbling by his grave
They say 'Down yonder lies a Steel driving man!'
Lawd Lawdy
Yonder lies a steel driving man.
