*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10503 ***

Provided by McGuinn's Folk Den (http://www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/folkden)



John Henry
(Traditional)

When John Henry was a little baby,
Just a sittn' on his mammy's knee,
Said, "The Big Bend Tunnel on that C&O Road
Gonna be the death of me, Lord God
Going to be the death of me."

Well John Henry said to the Captain,
I'm gonna take a little trip downtown
Get me a thrity pound hammer with that nine foot handle
I'll beat your steam drill down, Lord God
I'll beat your steam drill down.

Well John Henry hammered on that mountain
Till his hammer was striking fire
And the very last words that I heard that boy say was
Cool drink of water 'for I die, Lord God
Cool drink of water 'for I die.

Well they carried him down to the graveyard
And they buried him in the sand
And every locomotive came a roarin' on by
They cried out, "There lies a steel drivin' man, Lord God
There lies a steel drivin' man."

Well there's some say he came from Texas
There's some say he came from Maine
Well I don't give a damn where that poor boy was from
You know that, he was a steel drivin' man, Lord God
John Henry was a steel drivin' man.

Well when John Henry was a little baby,
Just a sittn' on his mammy's knee,
Said, "The Big Bend Tunnel on that C&O Road
Gonna be the death of me, Lord God
Going to be the death of me."

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10503 ***