John Henry
Listen to my story 'tis a story true;
'Bout a mighty man, John Henry was his name,
And John Henry was a steeldriver too,
Lawd, Lawd, John Henry was a steeldriver too.
2
John Henry's woman, Lucy, dress she wore was blue;
Eyes like stars an' teeth lak-a marble stone,
An' John Henry named his hammah " Lucy " too, Lawd, Lawd,
An' John Henry named his hammah " Lucy " too.
3
Lucy came to see him, bucket in huh han';
All the time John Henry ate his snack,
O Lucy, she'd drive steel lak-a man, Lawd, Lawd,
O Lucy, she'd drive steel lak-a man.
4
One day Cap' Tommy told him how he'd bet a man;
Bet John Henry'd beat a steam-drill down,
Jes' 'cause he was th' best in th' lan', Lawd, Lawd,
Jes' 'cause he was th' best in th' lan'.
5
John Henry, tol' Cap' Tommy, lightnin' in his eye;
" Cap'n bet you las' red cent on me,
Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die, " Lawd, Lawd,
Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die. "
6
Sun shined hot an' burnin', wer'n't no breeze at-tall;
Sweat ran down like watah down a hill
That day John Henry let his hammah fall, Lawd, Lawd,
That day John Henry let his hammah fall.
7
John Henry kissed his hammah, white man turned on steam;
Li'l Bill held John Henry's trusty steel,
'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen, Lawd, Lawd,
'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen.
8
White man tol' John Henry, " Niggah, damn yo' soul,
You might beat dis steam drill o' mine
When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol', " Lawd, Lawd,
" When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol'. "
9
John Henry tol' th' white man, tol' him kind-a sad,
" Cap'n George, I want-a be yo' fr'en;
If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don' get mad, " Lawd, Lawd,
" If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don' get mad. "
10
Cap' Tommy sees John Henry's steel a-bitin' in;
Cap'n slaps John Henry on th' back,
Says, " I'll give yo' fifty dollars if you win, " Lawd, Lawd,
Says, " I'll give yo' fifty dollars if you win. "
11
John Henry, O John Henry, blood am runnin' red!
Falls right down with his hammah to th' groun'
Says, " I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead, " Lawd, Lawd,
Says, " I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead. "
12
John Henry kissed his hammah, kissed it with a groan,
Sighed a sigh an' closed his weary eyes,
Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own, Lawd, Lawd,
Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own.
13
Lucy ran to see him, dress she wore was blue;
Started down th' track an' she nevah did turn back,
Sayin', " John Henry I'll be true — true to you, " Lawd, Lawd,
Sayin', " John Henry I'll be true — true to you. "
14
John Henry, O John Henry, sing it if yo' can,
High an' low an' ev'rywhere yo' go,
He died with his hammah in his han'! Lawd, Lawd,
He died with his hammah in his han'!
'Bout a mighty man, John Henry was his name,
And John Henry was a steeldriver too,
Lawd, Lawd, John Henry was a steeldriver too.
2
John Henry's woman, Lucy, dress she wore was blue;
Eyes like stars an' teeth lak-a marble stone,
An' John Henry named his hammah " Lucy " too, Lawd, Lawd,
An' John Henry named his hammah " Lucy " too.
3
Lucy came to see him, bucket in huh han';
All the time John Henry ate his snack,
O Lucy, she'd drive steel lak-a man, Lawd, Lawd,
O Lucy, she'd drive steel lak-a man.
4
One day Cap' Tommy told him how he'd bet a man;
Bet John Henry'd beat a steam-drill down,
Jes' 'cause he was th' best in th' lan', Lawd, Lawd,
Jes' 'cause he was th' best in th' lan'.
5
John Henry, tol' Cap' Tommy, lightnin' in his eye;
" Cap'n bet you las' red cent on me,
Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die, " Lawd, Lawd,
Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die. "
6
Sun shined hot an' burnin', wer'n't no breeze at-tall;
Sweat ran down like watah down a hill
That day John Henry let his hammah fall, Lawd, Lawd,
That day John Henry let his hammah fall.
7
John Henry kissed his hammah, white man turned on steam;
Li'l Bill held John Henry's trusty steel,
'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen, Lawd, Lawd,
'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen.
8
White man tol' John Henry, " Niggah, damn yo' soul,
You might beat dis steam drill o' mine
When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol', " Lawd, Lawd,
" When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol'. "
9
John Henry tol' th' white man, tol' him kind-a sad,
" Cap'n George, I want-a be yo' fr'en;
If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don' get mad, " Lawd, Lawd,
" If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don' get mad. "
10
Cap' Tommy sees John Henry's steel a-bitin' in;
Cap'n slaps John Henry on th' back,
Says, " I'll give yo' fifty dollars if you win, " Lawd, Lawd,
Says, " I'll give yo' fifty dollars if you win. "
11
John Henry, O John Henry, blood am runnin' red!
Falls right down with his hammah to th' groun'
Says, " I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead, " Lawd, Lawd,
Says, " I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead. "
12
John Henry kissed his hammah, kissed it with a groan,
Sighed a sigh an' closed his weary eyes,
Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own, Lawd, Lawd,
Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own.
13
Lucy ran to see him, dress she wore was blue;
Started down th' track an' she nevah did turn back,
Sayin', " John Henry I'll be true — true to you, " Lawd, Lawd,
Sayin', " John Henry I'll be true — true to you. "
14
John Henry, O John Henry, sing it if yo' can,
High an' low an' ev'rywhere yo' go,
He died with his hammah in his han'! Lawd, Lawd,
He died with his hammah in his han'!
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.