One, two

Well, John Henry was a little baby

Sitting on his daddy's knee

He picked up a hammer and

A little piece of steel

And cried, "Hammer's going to

Be death of me, Lord, Lord

Hammer's going to be the death of me"

Now, the captain, he

Said to John Henry

"I'm going to bring that

Steam drill around

I'm going to bring that

Steam drill out on these tracks

I'm going to knock that

Steel on down, God, God

I'm going to knock that

Steel on down"

John Henry told his captain

"Lord, a man ain’t nothing but a man

But before I let that steam drill

Beat me down

I'm going to die with a hammer

In my hand, Lord, Lord

Die with a hammer in my hand"

Ready, Sue!

[Instrumental break]

John Henry, driving

On the right side

That steam drill, driving

On the left

Says, "Before I let your

Steam drill beat me down

I'm going to hammer

Myself to death, Lord, Lord

I'll hammer my fool self to death"

Well, captain said to John Henry

"What is that storm I hear?"

John Henry said, "That

Ain’t no storm, captain

That's just my hammer

In the air, Lord, Lord

That's just my hammer in the air"

John Henry said to his shaker

"Shaker, why don't you sing?

Because I'm swinging thirty pounds

From my hips on down

Yeah, listen to my cold steel

Ring, Lord, Lord

Listen to my cold steel ring"

Come on here!

[Instrumental break]

I wanna hear that banjo now too!

[Banjo solo]

I want it now!

John Henry, he hammered

In the mountains

His hammer was striking fire

But he worked so hard

It broke his heart

John Henry laid his hammer

And died, Lord, Lord

John Henry laid down his hammer and died

Well, now John Henry

He had him a woman

By the name of Polly Ann

She walked out to those tracks

Picked up John Henry's hammer

Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord

Polly drove that steel like a man

Come on!

Well, every, every Monday morning

When a bluebird, he began to sing

You could hear John Henry

From a mile or more

You could hear John Henry's hammer

Ring, Lord, Lord

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring

Sing that one again!

I say, you can hear John Henry's hammer

Ring, Lord, Lord

You can hear John Henry's hammer ring

Come on! Whoa!

Yeah!