Capo: 1 Tuning: E A D G B E

Capo 1st fret [Verse]

^AJohn Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight. He said, "Before the sheriff comes, I wanna tell ^Eyou. Listen boy," He said, ^A"Learn to hoist a jack, and ^Dlearn to lay a ^Atrack.

Learn to pick and shovel too. And take my hammer.

It'll do ^Eanything you tell it ^Ato. John Henry's mammy had about a dozen ^Ababies. John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen ^Etimes. The ^Ababies all got sick and when the ^Ddoctor wanted ^Amoney,

He said: "I'll pay you a quarter at a time, startin' tomorrow.

That's pay for a ^Esteel driver on this ^Aline." ^AThen the section foreman said, "Hey, hammer swinger,

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I see you brought your own hammer, boy, But what else can all them muscle do?" And he said, "^AI can turn a jack, ^DI can lay a ^Atrack.

I can pick and shovel too." ("Can you swing a hammer, boy")

"Yes sir, I can do ^Eanything you hire me ^Ato." ^G("Now, ain't you somethin', so high and mighty with your muscles.

Just go ahead, boy, and pick up that hammer. Pick up the hammer.")

He said, ^G"Get a rusty spike and swing it ^Cdown three ^Gtimes. I'll pay you a nickel a day for ev'ry inch you sink into. Go on and do what ^Dyou say you can ^Gdo."

^GWith a steep-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle, John Henry raised it back till it touched his ^Dheels. ^GThen the spike went through the crosstie and ^Csplit it half in ^Gtwo.

Thirty five cents a day for drivin' steel.

("Sweat, sweat boy, sweat. ^DYou owe me two more swings.") "I was ^Gborn for drivin' steel."

[Interlude] E [Verse]

^EWell, John Henry hammered in the mountain. He'd give a grunt and he'd give a groan with every ^B7swing. ^EThe women folks for miles around ^Aheard him and came ^Edown

To watch him make the cold steel ring. Lord, what a swinger.

Just listen to that ^B7cold steel ^Ering. [Interlude] G

[Verse]

^GBut the bad boss came up laughin' at John Henry. Said, "You full of vinegar now, but you 'bout ^Dthrough. ^GWe gonna get a steam drill to ^Cdo you share if ^Gdrivin'.

Then what's all them muscle gonna do, huh, John Henry?

Gonna take a little bit of ^Dvinegar out of ^Gyou." ^GJohn Henry said, "I feed four little brothers And baby sister's walkin' on her ^Dknees. ^GDid the Lord say that machines oughta ^Ctake the place of ^Glivin'? And what's the substitute for bread and ^G7beans? I ain't seen it. Do engines get rewarded for their ^Gsteam?"

^GJohn Henry said to his captain, said "A man ain't nothin' but a ^Dman. But if you'll bring that steam drill around I'll ^Cbeat it fair and ^Ghonest.

I'll die with a hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughin',

'Cause you can't replae a ^Dsteel drivin' ^Gman." ^GThere was a big crowd of people at the mountain. John Henry said to the steam drill, "How is ^Dyou?

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Pardon me, Mister Steam E rill. I suppose you didn't hear me.

I said, how are you? Huh?

Well, ^Gcan you turn a jack, can ^Cyou lay a ^Gtrack? Can you pick and shovel too? Listen, this hammer ^Dswinger's talkin' to ^Gyou."

[Interlude] G [Verse]

^GTwo thousands people hollered, "Go, John Henry!" Then somebody hollered, "The mountain's caving ^Din!" ^GJohn Henry told the captain, "Tell the ^Ckind folks don't to ^Gworry.

It ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind. It keeps me breathin'.

This steel driver's ^Dmuscle, I ain't ^Gtin. [Interlude] E

[Verse]

^E"Captain, tell the people move back farther. I'm at the finish line and there ain't no ^B7drill. ^EIt's so far behind but yet ain't ^Agot the brains to ^Equit it.

When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills, Lord, Lord.

When she blows up she'll ^B7scatter 'cross the ^Ehills." ^GWell, John Henry had a little woman. I believe the lady's name was Polly ^DAnn.

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Yeah, that was his good woman.

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John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home.

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Early next mornin' he said, "Come here Polly Ann. Come here, sugar.

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You know, I believe this is the first time I ever

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Watched the sun come up that I couldn't come up with it.

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Take my hammer, Polly Ann, and go to that railroad.

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Swing that hammer like you seen me do it.

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And when you're swingin' with the lead man,

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You tell em that's not all I can do. Tell em,

^GI can hoist a jack, and ^CI can lay a ^Gtrack. I can pick and shovel too. Ain't no machine can. That's been ^Dproven to ^Gyou."

^GThere was a big crowd of mourners at the church house. The section hands laid him in the ^Dsand. ^GTrains go by on the rails ^CJohn Henry ^Glaid.

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They slow down, they take off their hats, the men do.

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When they come to the place where John Henry's layin'

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Restin' his back, some of 'em say,

"Mornin', steel driver. You sure was a hammer swinger."

Then they go on by pickin' up a little speed^G. (^GYonder lies the steel drivin' man, oh, Lord. Yonder lies the ^Dsteel drivin' ^Gman.)

[Outro] A

||: (^AYonder lies the steel drivin' man, oh, Lord. Yonder lies the ^Esteel drivin' ^Aman.) :|| Repeat and fade