John Henry was a little bitty boy
No bigger than the palm of your hand
His mammy looked down at Henry and say
Johnny, you're gonna be a steal driving man
Lord, Lord
Johnny, you're gonna be a steal driving man
John Henry he said to his Captain
"Captain, I wanna hear you sing
I'll swing forty-nine pounds
From my hips on down
Like to hear that cold steel ring
Lord, Lord
Like to hear that cold steel ring"
John Henry had a little woman
And her name was Polly Ann
John Henry he got sick
And he had to go to bed
But Polly drove the steel like a man
Lord, Lord
Polly drove the steel like a man
John Henry went to the tunnel to drive
Steam hammer by his side
Well, he beat that drill
Till the end of the tunnel
Laid down his hammer and he cried
Lord, Lord
Laid down his hammer and he cried
John Henry drove the steel on the mountain
Till his hammer caught on fire
And the last words we heard
John Henry say
"Cool drink of water before I die
Lord, Lord
A cool drink of water before I die"
Well, they took John Henry to the graveyard
Stuck him six feet under the sand
Everytime the freight train
That go puffing by
They say, "There lies a steel driving man
Lord, Lord
Yonder lies that steel driving man"