[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