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John Henry
Bill McAdoo
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When John Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his daddy's knee
Well, he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
Cried, "A hammer be the death of me"
Yes, hammer be the death of me
Now, the captain, he said, "John Henry
I'm gonna bring that steam drill 'round
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on the job
I'm gonna whop that steel on down"
Yes, I'm gonna whop that steel on down
I'm gonna whop that steel on down, down
I'm gonna whop that steel on down
Now, John Henry, he cried to the captain
"Bring my thirty pound hammer around
Lord, my thirty pound hammer with a nine foot handle
I'm gonna beat that steam drill down
If I die I'm gonna beat that steam drill down"
ย
Now, John Henry, he had a little woman
And her name was Mary Ann
You know John got sick and couldn't work one day
And then Ann drove steel like a man
Yes, Ann drove steel like a man
Now, the preacher, he cried to John Henry
"Oh, hammer like you never did before
Lord, now if that steam drill beats us down
We won't have no job no more
No, we won't have no job no more"
ย
I said, "John Henry, oh John Henry
Please tell me where you're bound
Lord, I'm hammering my way down that freedom road
I'm gonna beat old Jim Crow down
If I die I'm gonna beat old Jim Crow down"
Now hit it again
I'm gonna beat old Jim Crow down
If I die I'm gonna beat old Jim Crow down
Now, John Henry, he drove sixteen feet
That steam drill only did nine
But he drove so hard
That he broke his poor heart
And then he laid down his hammer and he died
Yes, laid down his hammer and he died
Now, sonny says he come from Carolina
Grandma says he come from Tennessee
You know, Henry was nothing but a Detroit man
He was a cousin to me
Yes, was a cousin to me
Well, he was a cousin to me
Yes, was a cousin to me
ย