John Henry

John Henry was about five years old: Sittin' on his papa's knee
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel. Said: 
"Hammer's gonna be de death of me, Lord, Lord! 
Hammer's gonna be de death of me."

 Capt’n said to John Henry: “Gonna bring me a steam drill around
 Gonna bring dat steam drill out on the job
 Gonna whop dat steel on down, Lord, Lord!  
 Whop dat steel on down”. 

John Henry said to his Cap’n: "A man ain't nothin' but a man
But before I’ll let yo’ steam drill beat me down
I'll die with de hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord! 
I'll die with de hammer in my hand."

John Henry said to his shaker: "Nigger, why don't you sing,
You know I'm throwin' twelve pounds from my hips on down,
Jes' listen to dat cold steel ring, Lord, Lord, 
Jes' listen to dat cold steel ring."
            
John Henry said to his Capt’n: "Looka yonder what I see,
Yo' drill's done broke an' yo' hole's done choke,
An’ you cain't drive steel like me, Lord, Lord, 
You cain't drive steel like me."                               
  	
De man that invented de steam drill thought he was mighty fine
But John Henry drove a fifteen feet
An’ de steam drill only made nine, Lord, Lord, 
An’ de steam drill only made nine.

John Henry was hammerin’ in de mountains. An’ his hammer was strikin' fire
He drove so hard, dat he broke his poor heart
An’ he lied down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord! 
He lied down his hammer and he died.

Dey took John Henry to de graveyard, An’ dey buried him in de sand
An’ every locomotive dat come rollin’ by says: 
Der lays a steel-drivin’ man, Lord, Lord,
 Der lays a steel-drivin’ man.
 
  He was a steel-drivin’ man. He was a steel-drivin’ man.