| [00:18.68] |
John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight |
| [00:23.02] |
He said Fore the sheriff comes |
| [00:25.14] |
I wanna tell you listen boy |
| [00:28.07] |
Said Learn to ball a jack |
| [00:30.85] |
Learn to lay a track |
| [00:32.85] |
Learn to pick |
| [00:34.15] |
And shovel too |
| [00:35.73] |
And take my hammer |
| [00:37.27] |
It'll do anything you tell it to |
| [00:41.63] |
John Henry's mammy had |
| [00:43.56] |
About a dozen babies |
| [00:46.49] |
John Henry's pappy broke jail |
| [00:48.57] |
About a dozen times |
| [00:51.83] |
The babies all got sick |
| [00:53.79] |
And when the doctor wanted money |
| [00:56.71] |
He said I'll pay you a quarter |
| [00:58.93] |
At a time startin' tomorrow |
| [01:01.53] |
That's the pay for a steel driver |
| [01:03.78] |
On this line |
| [01:06.16] |
Then the section foreman |
| [01:07.63] |
Said Hey hammer swinger |
| [01:10.82] |
I see you brought your own hammer boy |
| [01:12.57] |
But what else can all those muscles do |
| [01:14.79] |
And he said |
| [01:15.99] |
I can turn a jack |
| [01:18.19] |
I can lay a track |
| [01:19.94] |
I can pick and shovel too |
| [01:23.06] |
Can you swing a hammer boy |
| [01:24.62] |
Yes sir I'll do anything you hire me to |
| [01:35.97] |
Now ain't you somethin' |
| [01:38.08] |
So high and mighty wif your muscles |
| [01:41.50] |
Just go ahead boy and pick up that hammer |
| [01:44.01] |
Pick up the hammer |
| [01:45.83] |
He said Get a rusty spike |
| [01:47.83] |
And swing it down three times |
| [01:50.48] |
I'll pay you a nickel a day |
| [01:52.21] |
For every inch you sink it to |
| [01:54.88] |
Go on and do what you say you can do |
| [01:59.02] |
With a steep nose hammer |
| [02:00.43] |
On a four foot switch handle |
| [02:03.30] |
John Henry raised it back 'til |
| [02:04.90] |
It touched his heels then |
| [02:07.96] |
The spike went through the cross tie |
| [02:09.82] |
And it split it half in two |
| [02:12.50] |
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel |
| [02:15.24] |
Sweat sweat boy |
| [02:17.27] |
Sweat you owe me two more swings |
| [02:19.62] |
I was born for driven steel |
| [02:28.35] |
Well John Henry hammered in the mountain |
| [02:32.37] |
He'd give a grunt he'd give a groan |
| [02:34.31] |
With every swing |
| [02:36.94] |
The women folks for miles around heard him |
| [02:40.17] |
And come down |
| [02:41.51] |
To watch him make the cold steel ring Lord |
| [02:44.46] |
What a swinger |
| [02:45.92] |
Just listen to that cold steel ring |
| [02:53.24] |
But the bad boss come up laughin' at John Henry |
| [02:57.39] |
Said You full of vinegar now |
| [02:59.32] |
But you about through |
| [03:02.15] |
We gonna get a steam drill to do |
| [03:04.75] |
Your share of drivin' |
| [03:06.51] |
Then what's all them muscles gonna do |
| [03:09.37] |
Huh John Henry |
| [03:10.95] |
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar |
| [03:12.70] |
Out of you |
| [03:14.75] |
John Henry said I feed four little brothers |
| [03:19.13] |
And baby sister's walkin' on her knees |
| [03:24.00] |
Did the Lord say that |
| [03:26.27] |
Machines oughtta take the place of livin' |
| [03:31.27] |
And what's a substitute for bread and beans |
| [03:35.35] |
I ain't seen it |
| [03:37.25] |
Do engines get rewarded for their steam |
| [03:54.65] |
John Henry hid in a coal mine |
| [03:56.32] |
For his dinner nap |
| [03:59.06] |
Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell |
| [04:03.23] |
The mine boss hollered Get up |
| [04:05.60] |
Whoever you are and get a pick axe |
| [04:07.84] |
Give me enough coal to start another hell |
| [04:10.26] |
And keep it burnin' |
| [04:11.96] |
Mine me enough to start another hell |
| [04:15.94] |
John Henry said to his captain |
| [04:20.38] |
A man ain't nothin' but a man |
| [04:24.28] |
But if you'll bring that steam drill round |
| [04:26.74] |
I'll beat it fair and honest |
| [04:28.96] |
I'll die with my hammer in my hand |
| [04:31.90] |
But I'll be laughin' |
| [04:33.17] |
'Cuz you can't replace a steel drivin' man |
| [04:37.44] |
There was a big crowd of people |
| [04:39.56] |
At the mountain |
| [04:41.78] |
John Henry said to the steam drill |
| [04:43.93] |
How is you |
| [04:46.01] |
Pardon me mister steam drill |
| [04:47.41] |
I suppose you didn't hear me |
| [04:48.41] |
I said How're you |
| [04:51.18] |
Well can you turn a jack can you lay a track |
| [04:56.60] |
Can you pick and shovel too |
| [05:00.68] |
Listen this hammer swinger's talkin' to you |
| [05:27.95] |
Two thousand people hollered Go John Henry |
| [05:31.95] |
Then somebody hollered The mountain's caving in |
| [05:36.01] |
John Henry told the captain |
| [05:38.04] |
Tell the kind folks don't worry |
| [05:39.99] |
That ain't nothin' |
| [05:40.47] |
But my hammer suckin' wind it |
| [05:42.58] |
Keeps me breathin' |
| [05:44.25] |
A steel driver's muscle I intend |
| [05:52.63] |
Captain tell the people move back further |
| [05:56.35] |
I'm at the finish line |
| [05:57.75] |
And there ain't no drill |
| [06:00.40] |
It's so far behind |
| [06:01.78] |
But yet ain't got the brains to quit it |
| [06:04.61] |
When she blows up |
| [06:05.55] |
She'll scatter 'cross the hills Lord lordy |
| [06:08.56] |
When she blows up |
| [06:09.27] |
She'll scatter 'cross the hills |
| [06:23.26] |
Well John Henry had a little woman |
| [06:27.36] |
I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann |
| [06:31.78] |
Yeah that was his good woman |
| [06:33.66] |
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder |
| [06:35.76] |
And went on home |
| [06:37.68] |
He laid down to rest his weary back |
| [06:39.68] |
And early next mornin' |
| [06:40.65] |
He said Come here Polly Ann come here sugar |
| [06:45.03] |
Ya know I believe this is the first time |
| [06:46.90] |
I ever watched |
| [06:47.76] |
The sun come up that I couldn't come up |
| [06:50.61] |
Take my hammer Polly Ann |
| [06:51.82] |
And go to that railroad |
| [06:53.53] |
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it |
| [06:55.94] |
And when you're swingin' with the lead man |
| [06:57.89] |
They'll all know |
| [06:59.19] |
They'll all know you're John Henry's woman |
| [07:01.60] |
But but tell them ain't all you can do |
| [07:03.35] |
Tell 'em I can hoist a jack |
| [07:06.64] |
And I can lay a track |
| [07:08.99] |
I can pick |
| [07:10.04] |
And shovel too ain't no machine can |
| [07:14.46] |
That's been proved to you |
| [07:26.88] |
There was a big crowd of mourners |
| [07:28.95] |
At the church house |
| [07:31.64] |
The section hands laid him in the sand |
| [07:36.13] |
Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid |
| [07:41.43] |
They slow down |
| [07:42.88] |
And take off their hats the men do |
| [07:44.32] |
When they come to the place |
| [07:45.57] |
Where John Henry's layin' |
| [07:46.72] |
Restin' his back some of 'em |
| [07:48.73] |
Say Mornin' steel driver |
| [07:51.62] |
You sure was a hammer swinger |
| [07:53.97] |
Then they go on by pickin' up |
| [07:55.06] |
A little speed |
| [07:55.59] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:56.97] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:57.32] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:58.65] |
Clickity clack |
| [07:59.88] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord |
| [08:04.27] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man |
| [08:08.14] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord |
| [08:12.32] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man |
| [08:16.47] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord |
| [08:20.00] |
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man |
