| John Henry told his captain
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| «Man ain’t nothin' but a man
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| Before I’ll be beaten by this old steam drill
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| Gonna die with my hammer in my hands, Lord, Lord
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| Gonna die with a hammer in my hands»
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| John Henry told his captain
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| «Captain, how can it be?
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| The Big Bend Tunnel on that C & O road is
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| Gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
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| Is gonna be the last of me»
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| John Henry had a little hammer
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| The handle was made of oak
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| Every time he hit that drill on the head
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| Hammer laid just down and broke, Lord, Lord
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| The hammer laid just down and broke
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| John Henry told his shaker
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| «Shaker, you better pray
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| For if I miss this six-foot steel
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| Tommorow’ll be your buryin' day, Lord, Lord
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| Tomorrow’ll be your buryin' day»
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| John Henry had but one only child
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| Fit in the palm of your hand
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| The very last words John Henry said
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| «Son, don’t be a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord
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| Son, don’t be a steel-drivin' man»
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| John Henry had a little woman
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| Her name was Sally Ann
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| John Henry got sick and he could not work
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| Sally drove the steel like a man, Lord, Lord |
| Sally drove the steel like a man |