Well, a foreman said to John Henry,
he said, what can you do?
Line of track and I can carry a jack
I can pick and shovel too, Lord,
Lord, pick and shovel too
John Henry said to the captain,
Captain, how can that be?
Got forty -nine men on your job,
you'll hurry nobody but me,
Lord, Lord, you'll hurry nobody but me
But John Henry was a
steel -drivin' man,
Lord, Lord, Henry was a railroad man.
Now John Henry had a little wife,
her name was Polly Ann.
When John Henry was
sick down in his bed,
she drove steel like a natural man, Lord, Lord,
she drove steel like a natural man
John Henry had a little wife,
and she began to sing, said,
you don't have to worry
as long as I can make this hammerang,
Lord, Lord,
long as I can make this hammerang
Well, a peck would peck a wood,
would peck a wood
Make your head so red
I've been working on the levee
And the sun done burned my head
Lord, Lord, the sun done burned my head
Says, where did you get your pretty little shoes,
woman?
You're dressed so fine
I got the shoes off of Maxwell
I got the dress off of Hollister
Lord, Lord, I got the dress off of Hollister
Well, John Henry was a
steel -driving man,
Lord, Lord, Henry was a railroad man.
John Henry went to his woman's house,
told her to turn down her bed.
Says he was sick and
he had to lay down,
he had a mighty hurting in his head,
Lord, Lord, had a mighty
hurting in his head.
Now John Henry died up in the mountain,
they buried him in the clay
And the last word I heard him say,
never let your woman have her way,
Lord, Lord, never let your
woman have her way
Well John Henry was a steel driving man,
Lord, Lord, Henry was a railroad man
You