John Henry was a little bitty boy sittin' on his mommy's knee When he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel This hammer'd be a death of me Lord, Lord, this hammer'd be a death of me John Henry was a little bitty boy, no bigger than a palm of your hand When his mommy looked at him proudly and said "My Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man" Lord, Lord, hey Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man John Henry was a steel drivin' man, drove steel all through the land Before he would let that steam drill beat him down He'd die with the hammer in his hand Lord, Lord, he'd die with the hammer in his hand John Henry went to the tunnel drive, steam drill was by his side Before he would let that steam drill beat him down He laid down his hammer and he cried Lord, Lord, he laid down his hammer and he cried John Henry went up on the mountain and he looked down on the other side And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said "A cool drink of water before I die" Lord, Lord, cool drink of water before I die John Henry had a little woman and her name was Polly Ann And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said "Polly drive that steel like a man" Lord, Lord, Polly drive that steel like a man
John Henry was a little bitty boy sittin' on his mommy's knee When he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel This hammer'd be a death of me Lord, Lord, this hammer'd be a death of me John Henry was a little bitty boy, no bigger than a palm of your hand When his mommy looked at him proudly and said "My Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man" Lord, Lord, hey Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man John Henry was a steel drivin' man, drove steel all through the land Before he would let that steam drill beat him down He'd die with the hammer in his hand Lord, Lord, he'd die with the hammer in his hand John Henry went to the tunnel drive, steam drill was by his side Before he would let that steam drill beat him down He laid down his hammer and he cried Lord, Lord, he laid down his hammer and he cried John Henry went up on the mountain and he looked down on the other side And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said "A cool drink of water before I die" Lord, Lord, cool drink of water before I die John Henry had a little woman and her name was Polly Ann And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said "Polly drive that steel like a man" Lord, Lord, Polly drive that steel like a man
