Classic Poem

John Henry was a lil baby,
Sittin' on his mama's knee,
Said: " De Big Bend Tunnel on de C. & O. road
Gonna cause de death of me,
Lawd, lawd, gonna cause de death of me."

Cap'n says to John Henry,
" Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round,
Gonna take dat steam drill out on de job,
Gonna whop dat steel on down,
Lawd, lawd, gonna whop dat steel on down."

John Henry tol' his cap'n,
Lightnin' was in his eye:
" Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me,
Fo' I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die,
Lawd, lawd, I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die."

Sun shine hot an' burnin',
Wer'n't no breeze a-tall,
Sweat ran down like water down a hill,
Dat day John Henry let his hammer fall,
Lawd, lawd, dat day John Henry let his hammer fall.

John Henry went to de tunnel,
An' dey put him in de lead to drive,
De rock so tall an' John Henry so small,
Dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried,
Lawd, lawd, dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried.

John Henry started on de right hand,
De steam drill started on de lef' —
" Before I'd let dis steam drill beat me down,
I'd hammer my fool self to death,
Lawd, lawd, I'd hammer my fool self to death."

White man tol' John Henry,
" Nigger, damn yo' soul,
You might beat dis steam an' drill of mine,
When de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol',
Lawd, lawd, when de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol'."

John Henry said to his shaker,
" Nigger, why don' you sing?
I'm throwin' twelve poun's from my hips on down,
Jes' listen to de col' steel ring,
Lawd, lawd, jes' listen to de col' steel ring."

Oh, de captain said to John Henry,
" I b'lieve this mountain's sinkin' in."
John Henry said to his captain, oh my!
" Ain' nothin' but my hammer suckin' win',
Lawd, lawd, ain' nothin' but my hammer suckin' win'."

John Henry tol' his shaker,
" Shaker, you better pray,
For if I miss dis six-foot steel,
Tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day,
Lawd, lawd, tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day."

John Henry tol' his captain,
" Look yonder what I see —
Yo' drill's done broke an' yo' hole's done choke,
An' you cain' drive steel like me,
Lawd, lawd, an' you cain' drive steel like me."

De man dat invented de steam drill,
Thought he was mighty fine.
John Henry drove his fifteen feet,
An' de steam drill only made nine,
Lawd, lawd, an' de steam drill only made nine.

De hammer dat John Henry swung,
It weighed over nine pound;
He broke a rib in his lef'-han' side,
An' his intrels fell on de groun',
Lawd, lawd, an' his intrels fell on de groun'.

All de womens in de Wes',
When dey heared of John Henry's death,
Stood in de rain, flagged de eas'-boun' train,
Goin' where John Henry fell dead,
Lawd, lawd, goin' where John Henry fell dead.

John Henry's lil mother,
She was all dressed in red,
She jumped in bed, covered up her head,
Said she didn' know her son was dead,
Lawd, lawd, didn' know her son was dead.

Dey took John Henry to de graveyard,
An' dey buried him in de san',
An' every locomotive come roarin' by,
Says, " Dere lays a steel-drivin' man,
Lawd, lawd, dere lays a steel-drivin' man."