john henry was about three days old sittin on his papa s knee he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel said hammer s gonna be the death of me lord lord hammer s gonna be the death of me the captain said to john henry gonna bring that steam drill round gonna bring that steam drill out on the job gonna whop that steel on down down down whop that steel on down john henry told his captain a man ain t nothin but a man but before i let your steam drill beat me down i d die with a hammer in my hand lord lord i d dies with a hammer in my hand john henry said to his shaker shaker why don t you sing i m throwin thirty pounds from my hips on down just listen to that cold steel ring lord lord listen to that cold steel ring the man that invented the stream drill thought he was mighty fine but john henry made fifteen feet the steam drill only made nine lord lord the steam drill only made nine john henry hammered in the mountain his hammer was striking fire but he worked so hard he broke his poor heart he laid down his hammer and he died lord lord he laid down his hammer and he died john henry had a little woman her name was polly ann john henry took sick and went to his bed polly ann drove steel like a man lord lord polly ann drove steel like a man john henry had a little baby you could hold him in the palm of your hand the last words i heard that poor boy say my daddy was steel driving man lord lord my daddy was a steel driving well every monday morning when the bluebirds begin to sing you can hear john henry a mile or more you can hear john henry s hammer ring lord lord you can hear john henry s hammer ring