One, two
Well, John Henry was a little baby
Sitting on his daddy's knee
He picked up a hammer and
A little piece of steel
And cried, "Hammer's going to
Be death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer's going to be the death of me"

Now, the captain, he
Said to John Henry
"I'm going to bring that
Steam drill around
I'm going to bring that
Steam drill out on these tracks
I'm going to knock that
Steel on down, God, God
I'm going to knock that
Steel on down"

John Henry told his captain
"Lord, a man ain’t nothing but a man
But before I let that steam drill
Beat me down
I'm going to die with a hammer
In my hand, Lord, Lord
Die with a hammer in my hand"
Ready, Sue!
[Instrumental break]

John Henry, driving
On the right side
That steam drill, driving
On the left
Says, "Before I let your
Steam drill beat me down
I'm going to hammer
Myself to death, Lord, Lord
I'll hammer my fool self to death"

Well, captain said to John Henry
"What is that storm I hear?"
John Henry said, "That
Ain’t no storm, captain
That's just my hammer
In the air, Lord, Lord
That's just my hammer in the air"

John Henry said to his shaker
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
Because I'm swinging thirty pounds
From my hips on down
Yeah, listen to my cold steel
Ring, Lord, Lord
Listen to my cold steel ring"
Come on here!
[Instrumental break]
I wanna hear that banjo now too!
[Banjo solo]
I want it now!

John Henry, he hammered
In the mountains
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard
It broke his heart
John Henry laid his hammer
And died, Lord, Lord
John Henry laid down his hammer and died

Well, now John Henry
He had him a woman
By the name of Polly Ann
She walked out to those tracks
Picked up John Henry's hammer
Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
Polly drove that steel like a man
Come on!

Well, every, every Monday morning
When a bluebird, he began to sing
You could hear John Henry
From a mile or more
You could hear John Henry's hammer
Ring, Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
Sing that one again!
I say, you can hear John Henry's hammer
Ring, Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
Come on! Whoa!
Yeah!