Johnny Cash - The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer lyrics

John Henry's Papy woke him up one midnight
He said before the sheriff comes
I wanna tell you, listen boy
Said learn to ball a jack
Learn to lay a track
Learn to pick and shovel too
And take my hammer
It'll do anything you tell it to
John Hery's mammie had about a dozen babies
John Henry's papie told tale
About a dozen times
The babies all got sick and
When the doctor wanted money, he
Said I'll pay you quarter at
A time, startin' tomorow
That's the pay for a steel
Driver on this line
Then the section foreman said
Hey hammer swinger, i
See you brought your own hammer boy
But what else can all those muscles do?
And he said, I can turn a
Jack, I can lay a track
I can pick and shovel too
(can you swing a hammer boy?)
I can I'll do anything you hire me to
Now ain't you something so high
And mighty with your
Muscles, just go ahead pick up that hammer
Pick up the hammer
He said get a rusty spike and
Swing it down three times, i'll pay
You a nickel a day for every
Inch you sink it to
Go on and do what you say you can do
With a steep nose hammer on
A four foot switch panel
John Henry raised it back till it touched
His heels
Then the spike went through the cross
Tie and it split it half in two
35 cents a day for driven steel
(sweat sweat boy, sweat
You owe me two more swings)
I was born for driven steel
Well John Henry hammered in the mountain
He'd give a
Grunt and he'd give groan with every swing
The women folks
For miles around, heard him and come down
To watch him make the cold steel ring
Lord what a swinger
Just listen to that cold steel ring
But the bad boss come up
Laughing at John Henry, said
You full of vinegar now
But you bout through, were gonna
Get a steam drill to do your share of drivin
Then what's all them muscles gonna
Do, huh John Henry
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you
John Henry said I feed four little brothers
And my baby sister's walking on her knees
Did the Lord say that
Machines awtta take the place of living
And what's a subsitute for bread and beans
I ain't seen it
Do engines get rewarded for their steam
John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner
Now, had thirty minutes to
Rest before the bell, the mine boss hollered
Get up whoever you are and get a pick ax
Give me enough coal to start another hill
And keep it burning
Mine me enough to start another hill
John Henry said to his captain, a
Man ain't nothin but a man
But if you bring that steam drill
Round, I'll beat it fair and honest
I'll die with
My hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughing
Cuz you can't replace a steel driven man
There was a big crowd of
People at the mountain, john Henry said
To the steam drill how is you
Pardon me mister steam drill, i suppose
You didn't hear me, I said how you
Well can you turn a
Jack, can you lay a track, can
You pick and shovel too
Listen this hammer swingers talkin' to you
2000 people hollered go John Henry
Then somebody hollered the
Mountain's caving in, John Henry
Told the captain, tell
The kind folks not to worry
That ain't nothin
But my hammer suckin' wind
Keeps me breathing
A steel drivers muscle I intend
Captain tell the people move back further
I'm at
The finish line and I ain't no drill
She's so far behind
You ain't got the brains to quit it
When she blows up she'll scatter cross
The hills, Lord Lordy
When she blows up she'll
Scatter cross the hills
Well John Henry had a little woman
I believe the lady's
Name was Polly Ann, yeah that
Was his good woman
John Henry threw his hammer over his
Shoulder and went on home
He layed down to rest his weary back and
Early next morining he said come here
Polly Ann come here sugar
Ya know I believe this is the
First time I ever watched
The sun come up that I
Couldn't come up with it
Take my hammer Polly Ann and
Go to that rail road, swing that hammer like
You seen me do it, and when
Your swinging with the lead men
They'll all know they'll all know your John
Henry's woman
But tell them that's not all I can
Do, tell em I can hoist a jack
And I can lay a track, I can pick
And shovel 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 laid
Him in the sand, trains go by on the rails
John Henry laid, they slow down
And take off their hats, the
Men do, when they come to
The palce John Henrys laid, rests on
His back, some say mornin steel driver
You sure were a hammer swinger
Then they go along pickin up
Speed, clikty clak, clikty clak, down
There lies a steel driven man oh Lord
Down there lies a steel
Driven man, down there lies a
Steel driven man oh Lord
Down there lies a steel driven man