John Henry

When John Henry was a little bitty boy
 Sittin' on his mommy's knee
 He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
 Said, "This hammer gonna be the death of me"
 "This hammer gonna be the death of me"
 When John Henry was a little baby
 No bigger than the palm of your hand
 His mommy looked down at little Johnny and said
 "My Johnny gonna be a steel drivin' man" yes he is
 "My Johnny gonna be a steel drivin' man"
 John Henry was a steel drivin' man
 Drove steel all over the land
 'Fore I let the steam hammer get me down
 I'll die with my hammer in my hand
 Die with my hammer in my hand
 John Henry went to the tunnel to drive
 Steam hammer by his side
 He beat the steam hammer to the top of the hill
 And he laid down his hammer and he cried, oh Lord
 Laid down his hammer and he cried
 The captain said to John Henry
 "I believe that mountain's cavin' in"
 John Henry just laughed at the captain and said
 "That ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind"
 "That ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind"
 John Henry had a lovin' little wife
 Her name was Polly Anne
 Johnny got sick and he had to go to bed
 Polly drove steel like a man, yes
 Polly drove steel like a man
 They buried John Henry in the graveyard
 They layed him down in the sand
 Every time a freight train comes puffin' by, they'd say
 "Yonder lies a steel drivin' man"
 "Yonder lies a steel drivin' man"