Song information On this page you can find the lyrics of the song John Henry, Pt. 1, artist - Harry Belafonte. Date of issue: 07.01.2020
Song language: English
John Henry, Pt. 1 |
| 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 |