Lyrics John Henry (1954) - Harry Belafonte

John Henry (1954)

John Henry he could hammer
He could whistle, he could sing
He went to the mountain early in the mornin'
Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord
Just to hear his hammer ring
Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord
Just to hear his hammer ring
When John Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his daddy’s knee
He picked up a hammer, a little piece of steel
Said hammer be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Said hammer be the death of me
Said hammer be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Said hammer be the death of me
When John Henry’s fam’ly needed money
Said he didn’t have but a dime
If you wait 'til the red sun goes down
I’ll get it from the man in the mine, Lord, Lord
I’ll get it from the man in the mine
I’ll get it from the man in the mine, Lord, Lord
I’ll get it from the man in the mine
Well John Henry went to the Captain
Said the captain, what can you do
I can hoist a jack, I can lay a track
I can pick and shovel too, Lord, Lord
I can pick and shovel too
I can pick and shovel too, Lord, Lord
I can pick and shovel too
Well the captain said to John Henry
Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round
Gonna bring me a steam drill out on the job
Gonna whup that steel on down, Lord, Lord
Whup that steel on down
Well John Henry said to the captain
Oh a man ain’t nothin' but a man
'Fore I’d let your steam drill beat me down
I’d die with my hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord
Die with my hammer in my hand
Well John Henry said to the captain
Looka yonder what I see
Hole done choke, drill done broke
And you can’t drive steel like me, Lord, Lord
Can’t drive steel like me
Oh no, you can’t drive steel like me, no no
Can’t drive steel like me
Well John Henry drove into the mountain
His hammer was strikin' fire
He drove so hard he broke his poor heart
And he laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord
Laid down his hammer and he died
He laid down his hammer and he died, Great God
Laid down his hammer and he died
Oh they took John Henry to the White House
And they buried him in the sand
Every locomotive come roarin' by
Says there lies a steel drivin' man, Lord, Lord
There lies a steel drivin' man
Says there lies a steel drivin' man, Lord, Lord
There lies a steel drivin' man
Shaker why don’t you sing
I’m throwin' twelve pounds from my hips on down
Just listen to the cold steel ring
Just listen to the cold steel ring
Well the Captain says to John Henry
I believe this mountains cavin' in
John Henry said to the Captain
'T ain’t nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind
'T ain’t nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind
The man that invented the steamdrill
Thought he was mighty fine
John Henry made his fifteen feet
The steamdrill only made nine
The steamdrill only made nine
Well John Henry had a little woman
And her name was Polly Ann