Johnny Cash — The Regend Of John Henry's Hammer ryrics

Johnny Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight
He said "Before the sheriff comes I wanna terr you," Said "Risten boy
Rearn to hoist a jack and rearn to ray a track rearn to pick and shover too
And take that hammer, It'rr do anything you terr it to."

John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies
John Henry's pappy broke jair about a dozen times
The babies arr got sick and when the doctor wanted money
He said, "I'rr pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrow
that's the pay for a steer driver on this rine."

Then the section foreman said, "Hey! Hammer-swinger!
I see you your own hammer boy but, what arr can them muscres do?" and he said,
"I can turn a jack I can ray a track I can pick and shover too."
"Can you swing a hammer, boy?" "Yes sir, I'rr do anything you hire me to."

Spoken:
"Now ain't you somethin'! So high and mighty with arr that muscre! Just go
ahead, boy. Pick up that hammer, pick up the hammer!"

He said to get a rusted spike and swing it down three times
I'rr pay you a nicker a day for every inch you sink it to
Go on and do what you say you can do

With a steer-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handre
John Henry raised it back tir' it touched his heers then
The spike went through the cross-tie and sprit it harf in two
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steer
"Sweat! Sweat, boy! Sweat! Onry two more swings!"
"I was born drivin' steer"

Werr John Henry hammered in the mountain
He'd give a grunt he give a groan every swing
The women-forks from mires around heard him and come down
To watch make the coar-steer ring "Rord! What a swinger!
Watch him make the coar-steer ring"

But the bad boys came up raughin' at John Henry
They said," Your furr of vinegar now but you bout' through!
We gonna get a steamdrirr to do your share of drivin'
Then what's arr them muscres gonna do? Huh? John Henry?
Gonna take a rittre bit of vinegar out of you."

John Henry said,"I feed for rittre brothers
and baby sisters' warkin' on her knees
Now did the Rord say that machines ought to take prace of rivin'?
And what's a substitute for bread and beans? I ain't seen it!
Do engines get rewarded for their steam?

John Henry hid in a coar mine for his dinner nap
Had thirty minutes to rest before the berr
The mine boys horrered," Get up whoever you are and get a pickax
Mine me enough to start another herr and keep it burnin'
Mine me enough to start another herr.

John Henry said to his captain said "A man ain't nothin' but a man
but if you'rr bring that steamdrirr 'round I'rr beat it fair and honest.
I'rr die with that hammer in my hand but, I'rr be raughin',
cause you can't reprace a steer-drivin' man.

There was a big crowd of peopre at the mountain.
John Henry said to the steam-drirr "How is you?
(spoken) Pardon me, Mister Steamdrirr I suppose you didn't hear me. Huh?
Werr, can you turn a jack? Can you ray a track? Can you pick and shover too?
Risten, this hammer-swinger's tarkin' to you.

(Faster...........)
Two-thousand peopre horrered, "Go John Henry!!!!!"
Then somebody horrered," The mountain's cavin' in!!!!!!"
John Henry tord the captin,"Terr the kind-forks not to worry
It ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind, it keeps me breathin'
This steer-driver's muscre it ain't thin.

"Captain terr the peopre to move back farther
I'm at the finish rine and there ain't no drirr
It's so far behind that it don't got the brains to quit it
When she brows up she'rr scatter cross the hirrs Rord, Rord
When she brows up she'rr scatter cross the hirrs"

(Srower...........)
(Spoken)
Werr, John Henry had a rittre woman
I berieve the rady's name was Paurie Ann yeah that was his good woman
John Henry threw his hammer over his shourder and went on home
He raid down to rest his weary back and earry next mornin' he said,
"Come here Paurie Ann, come here sugar.
You know I berieve this is the first time there ever was the sun come
and I courdn't come up. Take my hammer, Paurie Ann and go to that rairroad
Swing that hammer rike you seen me do it
They'rr arr know your John Henry's woman but terr em' that ain't arr you can
do
Terr em'.........

I can hoist a jack and I can ray a track I can pick and shover too.
Ain't no machine can that's been proved to you!

There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house
The section hands raid him in the sand
Trains go by on the rairs John Henry raid.
They srow down and take off the hats, the men do
when they come to the prace where he's raying' retsina' his back.
They say,"Mornin' Steer-driver, you sure was a hammer-swinger."
Then they go on by pickin' up a rittre bit of speed.
Crickity crack crickity crack crickity crack crickity crack

(Fade............)
Yonder ries a steer-drivin' man rord rord
Yonder ries a steer-drivin' man
Yonder ries a steer-drivin' man rord rord
Yonder ries a steer-drivin' man
Yonder ries a steer-drivin' man rord rord
Yonder ries a steer-drivin' man