Now, when John Henry was just a little bitty boy Went to put his papa to town "Daddy, I want you to buy me a twelve-pound hammer, I want to beat a steam drill down, Daddy, I want to beat a steam drill down."
So they put John Henry on the right hand side Steam drill was standing on the left, said, "Before I let a steam drill beat me down, Daddy, I'll hammer my fool self to death Daddy, I'll hammer my fool self to death Yes, I'll (guitar finishes line) Yes, I'll" (guitar finishes line)
John Henry said just before he died, "Man ain't nothin' but a man." Said, "Before I let a steam drill beat me down, Lord, I'll die with my hammer in my hand Lord, I'll die with my hammer in my hand Yes, I'll (guitar finishes line) Yes, I'll" (guitar finishes line)
Yes, we heard a mighty rumblin' in the mountain one morning We thought 'twas the tunnel caving in John Henry whispered to his waterboy, "That's my hammer ramblin' wind. That's my hammer ramblin' in the wind."
SPOKEN, DURING SOLO: Yeah! What? What'd you say? I knew it? Ummm? Sing it again! Yeah!
John Henry said to his captain one morning, "Captain, how can this be? Man, I been on your job just about twelve long years, You don't hurry nobody but me. You don't hurry nobody but me. You don't hurry nobo' but me. You don't hurry nobody but me."
John Henry married to a little bitty woman Her name was Polly Ann John Henry got sick and she took a five-foot switch Woman drove down the steel like a man Polly, she drove down the steel like a man Yes, she (guitar finishes line)
SPOKEN DURING SOLO: Say something guitar! Yeah! What'd you hear? Ummmm hmmmmm. Ummmmm?
John Henry married to another little woman Dress that she wore was blue That woman walked down the track, Jack, never looked back, "Man, I once been true to you. Man, I once been true to you. Man, I once been true to you, hear, Lord, Once been true to you."
Mama, when I die, want you to bury me Way under beneath o' de floor So maybe I can hear some good gambler say, "I bet you a dollar more. Lord, I bet you a dollar more. Lord, I'll" (guitar finishes line)