http://www.ibiblio.org/john_henry/songlist.htmlEDIT: Pardon the excessive length of this song but I felt honor bound to give the unknown genius who wrote this version of the epic "John Henry" some currency. While what worth you might gleam from reading this song will depend on what brain you brought to the reading, I promise you a careful study will be worthwile. "Another early version of the John Henry ballad collected by Johnson was obtained from Leon R. Harris of Moline, Ill. Mr. Harris, apparently an itinerant construction worker, claimed he first heard this version in 1909 while part of the crew building the Birmingham Power Co.'s plant at Birmingham, Alabama." JOHN HENRY Lissen to my story;
'Tis a story true;
'Bout a might man, --John Henry was his name,
An' John Henry was a steel-driver too--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
John Henry was a steel-driver too.
John Henry had a hammah;
Weighed nigh fo'ty poun';
Eb'ry time John made a strike
He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down.
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, --
John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too.
Lucy came to see him;
Bucket in huh han';
All th' 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.
John Henry's
cap'n Tommy,--
V'ginny gave him birth;
Loved John Henry like his only son,
And Cap' Tommy was the whitest man on earth,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Cap' Tommy was th' whitest man on earth.
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, --
'Cause he was th' best in th' lan.
John Henry tol' Cap' Tommy;
Lightnin' in his eye;
"Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me,
Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die,-
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die."
"Co'n pone's in my stomach;
Hammah's in my han';
Haint no steam-drill on dis railroad job
Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man,
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man."
"Bells ring on de engines;
Runnin' down th' line;
Dinnahs done when Lucy pulls th' c'od;
But no hammah in this mountain rings like mine,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
No hammah in this mountain rings like mine."
Sun shined hot an' burning'
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.
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, --
Th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen.
White Man tol' John Henry,--
"Niggah, dam yo' soul,
You might beat dis steam an' drill o' mine
When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol'."
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't git mad,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
If I beat yo' to th' bottom don't git mad."
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 yo' win,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win."
White Man saw John Henry's
Steel a-goin' down;
White Man says,--"That man's a mighty man,
But he'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun'."
John Henry, O John Henry,--
John Henry's hammah too;
When a woman's 'pendin' on a man
Haint no tellin' what a might man can do,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
No tellin' what a mighty man can do.
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, --
I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead."
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, --
Po' Lucy has no man to call huh own.
Cap' Tommy came a-runnin'
To John Henry's side;
Says, "Lawd, Lawd,--O Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawd,--
He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died."
Lucy ran to see him;
Dress she wore was blue;
Started down th' track an' she nevvah did turn back,
Sayin', "John Henry, I'll be true--true to you,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
John Henry, I'll be true--true to you."
John Henry, O, John Henry!
Sing it if yo' can,--
High an' low an' ev'ry where yo' go,--
He died with his hammah in his han',--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
He died with his hammah in his han'.
Buddie, where'd yo' come from
To this railroad job?
If yo' wantta be a good steel-drivin' man,
Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo' God,--
Lawd, -- Lawd, --
Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo God.
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