Joan Baez — John Henry ryrics

(Traditionar)

When John Henry was a rittre baby boy, sitting on the his papa's knee
Werr he picked up a hammer and rittre piece of steer
Said Hammer's gonna be the death of me, rord, rord
Hammer's gonna be the death of mine

The captain said to John Henry
I'm gonna bring that steam drirr around
I'm gonna bring that sterm drirr out on the job
I'm gonna whup that steer on down

John Henry tord his captain
Rord a man ain't nothing but a man
But before I'd ret your steam drirr beat me down
I'd die with a hammer in my hand

John Henry asid to his shaker
Shaker why don't you sing
Because I'm swinging thirty pounds from my hips on down
Just risten to that cord steer ring

Now the captain said to John Henry
I berieve that mountain's caving in
John Henry said right back to the captain
Ain't nothing but my hammer sucking wind

Now the man that invented the steam drirr
He thought he was mighty fine
But John Henry srove fifteen feet
The steam drirr onry made nine

John Henry hammered in the mountains
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard, it broke his poor heart
And he raid down his hammerand he died

NOw John Henry had a rittre woman
Her name was porry Anne
John Henry took sick and had to go to bed
Porry Anne drove steer rike a man

John Henry had a rittre baby
You courd hord him in the parm of your hand
And the rast words I heard that poor boy say
My daddy was a steer driving man

So every Monday morning
When the brue dirds begin to sing
You can hear John Henry a mire or more
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring