john henry when he was a baby settin on his mammy s knee picked up an hammer in his little right hand said hammer be the death of me me me hammer be the death of me some say he s born in texas some say he s born up in maine i just say he was a louisiana man leader of a steel driving chain gang leader on a steel driving gang well the captain said to john henry i m gonna bring my steam drill around gonna whup that steel on down down down whup that steel on down john henry said to the captain you can bring your steam drill around gonna bring my steam drill out on the job i ll beat your steam drill down down down beat your steam drill down john henry said to his shaker shaker you had better pray if you miss your six feet of steel it ll be your buryin day day day it ll be your buryin day now the shaker said to john henry man ain t nothing but a man but before i d let that steam drill beat me down i d die with an hammer in my hand hand hand i d die with an hammer in my hand john henry had a little woman her name was polly anne john henry took sick and was laid up in bed while polly handled steel like a man man man polly handled steel like a man they took john henry to the graveyard laid him down in the sand every locomotive comin a rolling by by by hollered there lies a steel drivin man man man there lies a steel drivin man 