When Jonathan Henry
He was a little biddy boy
Yeah, just a-sittin' on his mammy's knee
He said the big bend tunnel
C&O Road
It's gonna be the death of me Lord, Lord
It's gonna be the death of me
Oh yeah
I'm gonna drive

Yeah, John Henry had him a woman
Her name was Mary Magdalene
Now she went down where that poor boy would drive
To hear his cold hammer ring Lord, Lord
To hear John Henry's hammer ring
To hear it ring
Ring, ring
Yeah, while I drive

John Henry, he had another woman
Hеr name was Sally Anne
Johnny got drunk, had to go to bed
Sally drovе the steel like a man Lord, Lord
Sally drove the steel like a man
Just like John Henry
Almost, not quite, no, not hardly
John Henry's family needed money
Said they didn't have but a dime
He said if he'll wait 'til the sun goes down
"I'll get it from the man on the line Lord, Lord
I'll get it from the man on the line
Just so you know
That's what I work
Driving steel, oh yeah"

John Henry, he drove on the mountain
Steam drill on his side
Well he drove about a mile-and-a-half
Laid down the hammer and he cried Lord, Lord
He laid down his hammer and he cried
Oh yeah, he cried
Oh yeah, he cried
John Henry cried!
Oh yeah, he cried!

Yeah, the white man
He said to John Henry
"Well Henry, now damn your soul!
You may beaten thissen steam manned drill of a mine
When the rocks in the mountain turn to gold, Poor Boy
When the rocks in the mountain turn to gold!"
Tell you what John Henry said
Yeah, John Henry, he looked down at the white man
And lightning was in his eyes
He said, "Captain bet your last red penny on me, I'll beat her to the bottom or I'll die Lord, Lord! I'll beat her to the bottom or I'll die. Oh yeah, I'll die"

John Henry drove steel in the tunnel
Hammer striking fire
Well he drove so hard
He broke his poor heart
He laid down the hammer and he died Lord, Lord
He laid down his hammer and he died
Oh yeah, he died
Yeah, he died
Oh yeah, he died!
John Henry died

Yeah John Henry
Had yet another woman
The dress she wore now which was red
Says "I'm going down that track, I ain't a-looking back
I'm going where my Johnny-boy fell dead Lord, Lord
I'm going where John Henry, he fell dead!"
Yeah, where he died
While driving steel
Mmm, he was a working son-of-a-gun
Yeah they took John Henry to the White House
Laid him in that sand
And every locomotive goes a-roaring by
Says "Yonder lies a steel-driving man Lord, Lord
Yonder lies a steel-driving man. A working boy
Yonder lies a steel-driving man Lord, Lord
Yeah, now yonder lies a steel
Woah down yonder
Yeah, down yonder
Yonder lies a steel-driving man"