| [00:18.88] |
John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight |
| [00:23.22] |
He said Fore the sheriff comes |
| [00:25.34] |
I wanna tell you listen boy |
| [00:28.27] |
Said Learn to ball a jack |
| [00:31.05] |
Learn to lay a track |
| [00:33.05] |
Learn to pick |
| [00:34.35] |
And shovel too |
| [00:35.93] |
And take my hammer |
| [00:37.47] |
It'll do anything you tell it to |
| [00:41.83] |
John Henry's mammy had |
| [00:43.76] |
About a dozen babies |
| [00:46.69] |
John Henry's pappy broke jail |
| [00:48.77] |
About a dozen times |
| [00:52.03] |
The babies all got sick |
| [00:53.99] |
And when the doctor wanted money |
| [00:56.91] |
He said I'll pay you a quarter |
| [00:59.13] |
At a time startin' tomorrow |
| [01:01.73] |
That's the pay for a steel driver |
| [01:03.98] |
On this line |
| [01:06.36] |
Then the section foreman |
| [01:07.83] |
Said Hey hammer swinger |
| [01:11.02] |
I see you brought your own hammer boy |
| [01:12.77] |
But what else can all those muscles do |
| [01:14.99] |
And he said |
| [01:16.19] |
I can turn a jack |
| [01:18.39] |
I can lay a track |
| [01:20.14] |
I can pick and shovel too |
| [01:23.26] |
Can you swing a hammer boy |
| [01:24.82] |
Yes sir I'll do anything you hire me to |
| [01:36.17] |
Now ain't you somethin' |
| [01:38.28] |
So high and mighty wif your muscles |
| [01:41.70] |
Just go ahead boy and pick up that hammer |
| [01:44.21] |
Pick up the hammer |
| [01:46.03] |
He said Get a rusty spike |
| [01:48.03] |
And swing it down three times |
| [01:50.68] |
I'll pay you a nickel a day |
| [01:52.41] |
For every inch you sink it to |
| [01:55.08] |
Go on and do what you say you can do |
| [01:59.22] |
With a steep nose hammer |
| [02:00.63] |
On a four foot switch handle |
| [02:03.50] |
John Henry raised it back 'til |
| [02:05.10] |
It touched his heels then |
| [02:08.16] |
The spike went through the cross tie |
| [02:10.02] |
And it split it half in two |
| [02:12.70] |
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel |
| [02:15.44] |
Sweat sweat boy |
| [02:17.47] |
Sweat you owe me two more swings |
| [02:19.82] |
I was born for driven steel |
| [02:28.55] |
Well John Henry hammered in the mountain |
| [02:32.57] |
He'd give a grunt he'd give a groan |
| [02:34.51] |
With every swing |
| [02:37.14] |
The women folks for miles around heard him |
| [02:40.37] |
And come down |
| [02:41.71] |
To watch him make the cold steel ring Lord |
| [02:44.66] |
What a swinger |
| [02:46.12] |
Just listen to that cold steel ring |
| [02:53.44] |
But the bad boss come up laughin' at John Henry |
| [02:57.59] |
Said You full of vinegar now |
| [02:59.52] |
But you about through |
| [03:02.35] |
We gonna get a steam drill to do |
| [03:04.95] |
Your share of drivin' |
| [03:06.71] |
Then what's all them muscles gonna do |
| [03:09.57] |
Huh John Henry |
| [03:11.15] |
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar |
| [03:12.90] |
Out of you |
| [03:14.95] |
John Henry said I feed four little brothers |
| [03:19.33] |
And baby sister's walkin' on her knees |
| [03:24.20] |
Did the Lord say that |
| [03:26.47] |
Machines oughtta take the place of livin' |
| [03:31.47] |
And what's a substitute for bread and beans |
| [03:35.55] |
I ain't seen it |
| [03:37.45] |
Do engines get rewarded for their steam |
| [03:54.85] |
John Henry hid in a coal mine |
| [03:56.52] |
For his dinner nap |
| [03:59.26] |
Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell |
| [04:03.43] |
The mine boss hollered Get up |
| [04:05.80] |
Whoever you are and get a pick axe |
| [04:08.04] |
Give me enough coal to start another hell |
| [04:10.46] |
And keep it burnin' |
| [04:12.16] |
Mine me enough to start another hell |
| [04:16.14] |
John Henry said to his captain |
| [04:20.58] |
A man ain't nothin' but a man |
| [04:24.48] |
But if you'll bring that steam drill round |
| [04:26.94] |
I'll beat it fair and honest |
| [04:29.16] |
I'll die with my hammer in my hand |
| [04:32.10] |
But I'll be laughin' |
| [04:33.37] |
'Cuz you can't replace a steel drivin' man |
| [04:37.64] |
There was a big crowd of people |
| [04:39.76] |
At the mountain |
| [04:41.98] |
John Henry said to the steam drill |
| [04:44.13] |
How is you |
| [04:46.21] |
Pardon me mister steam drill |
| [04:47.61] |
I suppose you didn't hear me |
| [04:48.61] |
I said How're you |
| [04:51.38] |
Well can you turn a jack can you lay a track |
| [04:56.80] |
Can you pick and shovel too |
| [05:00.88] |
Listen this hammer swinger's talkin' to you |
| [05:28.15] |
Two thousand people hollered Go John Henry |
| [05:32.15] |
Then somebody hollered The mountain's caving in |
| [05:36.21] |
John Henry told the captain |
| [05:38.24] |
Tell the kind folks don't worry |
| [05:40.19] |
That ain't nothin' |
| [05:40.67] |
But my hammer suckin' wind it |
| [05:42.78] |
Keeps me breathin' |
| [05:44.45] |
A steel driver's muscle I intend |
| [05:52.83] |
Captain tell the people move back further |
| [05:56.55] |
I'm at the finish line |
| [05:57.95] |
And there ain't no drill |
| [06:00.60] |
It's so far behind |
| [06:01.98] |
But yet ain't got the brains to quit it |
| [06:04.81] |
When she blows up |
| [06:05.75] |
She'll scatter 'cross the hills Lord lordy |
| [06:08.76] |
When she blows up |
| [06:09.47] |
She'll scatter 'cross the hills |
| [06:23.46] |
Well John Henry had a little woman |
| [06:27.56] |
I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann |
| [06:31.98] |
Yeah that was his good woman |
| [06:33.86] |
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder |
| [06:35.96] |
And went on home |
| [06:37.88] |
He laid down to rest his weary back |
| [06:39.88] |
And early next mornin' |
| [06:40.85] |
He said Come here Polly Ann come here sugar |
| [06:45.23] |
Ya know I believe this is the first time |
| [06:47.10] |
I ever watched |
| [06:47.96] |
The sun come up that I couldn't come up |
| [06:50.81] |
Take my hammer Polly Ann |
| [06:52.02] |
And go to that railroad |
| [06:53.73] |
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it |
| [06:56.14] |
And when you're swingin' with the lead man |
| [06:58.09] |
They'll all know |
| [06:59.39] |
They'll all know you're John Henry's woman |
| [07:01.80] |
But but tell them ain't all you can do |
| [07:03.55] |
Tell 'em I can hoist a jack |
| [07:06.84] |
And I can lay a track |
| [07:09.19] |
I can pick |
| [07:10.24] |
And shovel too ain't no machine can |
| [07:14.66] |
That's been proved to you |
| [07:27.08] |
There was a big crowd of mourners |
| [07:29.15] |
At the church house |
| [07:31.84] |
The section hands laid him in the sand |
| [07:36.33] |
Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid |
| [07:41.63] |
They slow down |
| [07:43.08] |
And take off their hats the men do |
| [07:44.52] |
When they come to the place |
| [07:45.77] |
Where John Henry's layin' |
| [07:46.92] |
Restin' his back some of 'em |
| [07:48.93] |
Say Mornin' steel driver |
| [07:51.82] |
You sure was a hammer swinger |
| [07:54.17] |
Then they go on by pickin' up |
| [07:55.26] |
A little speed |
| [07:55.79] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:57.17] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:57.52] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:58.85] |
Clickity clack |
| [08:00.08] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord |
| [08:04.47] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man |
| [08:08.34] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord |
| [08:12.52] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man |
| [08:16.67] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord |
| [08:20.20] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man |
