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The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer by Johnny Cash
The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:1st fret
Intro:
||: G | G | G | G :||
| G | G |
G
John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight.
D
He said, "Before the sheriff comes, I wanna tell you.
G C G
Listen boy," He said, "Learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track.
Learn to pick and shovel too. And take my hammer.
D G
It'll do anything you tell it to.
N.C. G
John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies.
D
John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times.
G C G
The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money,
He said: "I'll pay you a quarter at a time, startin' tomorrow.
D G
That's pay for a steel driver on this line."
G
Then the section foreman said, "Hey, hammer swinger,
N.C.
I see you brought your own hammer, boy,
But what else can all them muscle do?"
G
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")
D G
"Yes sir, I can do anything you hire me to."
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, "Get a rusty spike and swing it down three times.
I'll pay you a nickel a day for ev'ry inch you sink into.
D G
Go on and do what you say you can do."
G
With a steep-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle,
D
John Henry raised it back till it touched his heels.
G C G
Then the spike went through the crosstie and split it half in two.
Thirty five cents a day for drivin' steel.
("Sweat, sweat boy, sweat. You owe me two more swings.")
E
"I was born for drivin' steel."
E
Well, John Henry hammered in the mountain.
B7
He'd give a grunt and he'd give a groan with every swing.
E A E
The women folks for miles around heard him and came down
To watch him make the cold steel ring. Lord, what a swinger.
B7 E G
Just listen to that cold steel ring.
G
But the bad boss came up laughin' at John Henry.
D
Said, "You full of vinegar now, but you 'bout through.
G
We gonna get a steam drill to do you share if drivin'.
Then what's all them muscle gonna do, huh, John Henry?
D G
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you."
G
John Henry said, "I feed four little brothers
D
And baby sister's walkin' on her knees.
N.C.
Did the Lord say that machines oughta take the place of livin'?
And what's the substitute for bread and beans? I ain't seen it.
G
Do engines get rewarded for their steam?"
G
John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap;
D
Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell.
G C G
The mine boss hollered, "Get up, who-ever you are and get a pickax.
Give me enough coal to start another hill and keep it burnin'.
D G
Mine me enough to start another hill."
G D
John Henry said to his Captain, "A man ain't nothin' but a man.
G C G
But if you'll bring that steam drill around I'll beat it fair and hon - est.
I'll die with a hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughin',
D G
'Cause you can't replae a steel drivin' man."
G
There was a big crowd of people at the mountain.
D
John Henry said to the steam drill, "How is you?
N.C.
Pardon me, Mister Steam Drill. I suppose you didn't hear me.
I said, how are you? Huh?
G
Well, can you turn a jack, can you lay a track?
Can you pick and shovel too?
D G N.C. E
Listen, this hammer swinger's talkin' to you."
E
Two thousands people hollered, "Go, John Henry!"
B7
Then somebody hollered, "The mountain's caving in!"
E
John Henry told the Captain, "Tell the kind folks don't to worry.
It ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind. It keeps me breathin'.
B7 E G
This steel driver's muscle, I ain't tin.
G
Captain, tell the people move back farther.
D
I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill.
G
It's so far behind but yet ain't got the brains to quit it.
When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills, Lord, Lord.
D G N.C. E
When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills."
E
Well, John Henry had a little woman.
B7
I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann.
N.C.
Yeah, that was his good woman.
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home.
He lay down to rest his weary back. And early next mornin' he said,
"Come here Polly Ann. Come here, sugar.
You know, I believe this is the first time I ever
Watched the sun come up that I couldn't come up.
Take my hammer, Polly Ann, and go to that railroad.
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it.
And when you're swingin' with the lead man, they'll all know,
They'll all know you're John Henry's woman.
But, but tell 'em that ain't all you can do.
E A E
Tell 'em I can hoist a jack, and I can lay a track.
I can pick and shovel too. Ain't no machine can.
B7 E N.C. G
That's been proved to you."
G
There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house.
D
The section hands laid him in the sand.
G
Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid.
N.C.
They slow down, they take off their hats, the men do.
When they come to the place where John Henry's layin'
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
Click-a-dee clack. Click-a-dee clack. Click-a-dee clack. Click-a-dee
clack.
G
(Yonder lies the steel drivin' man, oh, Lord.
D G
Yonder lies the steel drivin' man.)
A
||: (Yonder lies the steel drivin' man, oh, Lord.
E A
Yonder lies the steel drivin' man.) :|| Repeat and fade
------------------
version 2
Tuning:E A D G B E
Key:A
Capo:1st fret
[Verse]
A
John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight.
E
He said, "Before the sheriff comes, I wanna tell you.
A D A
Listen boy," He said, "Learn to hoist a jack, and learn to lay a track.
Learn to pick and shovel too. And take my hammer.
E A
It'll do anything you tell it to.
A
John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies.
E
John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times.
A D A
The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money,
He said: "I'll pay you a quarter at a time, startin' tomorrow.
E A
That's pay for a steel driver on this line."
A
Then the section foreman said, "Hey, hammer swinger,
N.C
I see you brought your own hammer, boy,
But what else can all them muscle do?"
A D A
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")
E A
"Yes sir, I can do anything you hire me to."
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.")
G C G
He said, "Get a rusty spike and swing it down three times.
I'll pay you a nickel a day for ev'ry inch you sink into.
D G
Go on and do what you say you can do."
G
With a steep-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle,
D
John Henry raised it back till it touched his heels.
G C G
Then the spike went through the crosstie and split it half in two.
Thirty five cents a day for drivin' steel.
D
("Sweat, sweat boy, sweat. You owe me two more swings.")
G
"I was born for drivin' steel."
[Interlude]
E
[Verse]
E
Well, John Henry hammered in the mountain.
B7
He'd give a grunt and he'd give a groan with every swing.
E A E
The women folks for miles around heard him and came down
To watch him make the cold steel ring. Lord, what a swinger.
B7 E
Just listen to that cold steel ring.
[Interlude]
G
[Verse]
G
But the bad boss came up laughin' at John Henry.
D
Said, "You full of vinegar now, but you 'bout through.
G C G
We gonna get a steam drill to do you share if drivin'.
Then what's all them muscle gonna do, huh, John Henry?
D G
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you."
G
John Henry said, "I feed four little brothers
D
And baby sister's walkin' on her knees.
G C G
Did the Lord say that machines oughta take the place of livin'?
G7
And what's the substitute for bread and beans? I ain't seen it.
G
Do engines get rewarded for their steam?"
G D
John Henry said to his captain, said "A man ain't nothin' but a man.
C G
But if you'll bring that steam drill around I'll beat it fair and honest.
I'll die with a hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughin',
D G
'Cause you can't replae a steel drivin' man."
G
There was a big crowd of people at the mountain.
D
John Henry said to the steam drill, "How is you?
N.C
Pardon me, Mister Steam E rill. I suppose you didn't hear me.
I said, how are you? Huh?
G C G
Well, can you turn a jack, can you lay a track?
Can you pick and shovel too?
D G
Listen, this hammer swinger's talkin' to you."
[Interlude]
G
[Verse]
G
Two thousands people hollered, "Go, John Henry!"
D
Then somebody hollered, "The mountain's caving in!"
G C G
John Henry told the captain, "Tell the kind folks don't to worry.
It ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind. It keeps me breathin'.
D G
This steel driver's muscle, I ain't tin.
[Interlude]
E
[Verse]
E
"Captain, tell the people move back farther.
B7
I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill.
E A E
It's so far behind but yet ain't got the brains to quit it.
When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills, Lord, Lord.
B7 E
When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills."
G
Well, John Henry had a little woman.
D
I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann.
N.C
Yeah, that was his good woman.
N.C
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home.
N.C
Early next mornin' he said, "Come here Polly Ann. Come here, sugar.
N.C
You know, I believe this is the first time I ever
N.C
Watched the sun come up that I couldn't come up with it.
N.C
Take my hammer, Polly Ann, and go to that railroad.
N.C
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it.
N.C
And when you're swingin' with the lead man,
N.C
You tell em that's not all I can do. Tell em,
G C G
I can hoist a jack, and I can lay a track.
I can pick and shovel too. Ain't no machine can.
D G
That's been proven to you."
G
There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house.
D
The section hands laid him in the sand.
G C G
Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid.
N.C
They slow down, they take off their hats, the men do.
N.C
When they come to the place where John Henry's layin'
N.C
Restin' his back, some of 'em say,
"Mornin', steel driver. You sure was a hammer swinger."
G
Then they go on by pickin' up a little speed.
G
(Yonder lies the steel drivin' man, oh, Lord.
D G
Yonder lies the steel drivin' man.)
[Outro]
A
A
||: (Yonder lies the steel drivin' man, oh, Lord.
E A
Yonder lies the steel drivin' man.) :|| Repeat and fade
------------------
version 3
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:no capo
[Intro]
E
you know John henry has been sung
E
more ways and by so many different people and lads
E
probably crawling across the united states
E
you could find a new version of john henry every fifty miles.
E
Well, I havent seen one within fifty miles of here, so
E
we got another one, we hope you like this
E Em E
E
one thing we all agree on no matter how many versions there are
E
we believe that John Henry did pick up that hammer, and say
[Sung intro]
E
This hammer gonna be the death of me , but I love to swing it
B7 E
This hammer gonna be the death of me.
E G
[Verse 1]
G
John Henrys pappy had to have a dollar
D7
His overwalls were empty, not a dime
G C G
John Henry said now pappy, I know where theres a dollar,
G
And I'll get it from that man in the man. No I promise I wont steal it.
D7 G
I'll get it from the man in the mine
[Verse 2]
G
Well the yard foreman spotted ol' John Henry
D7
John Henry heard the man and politely said
Well please sir,
G C G
I can hoist a jack and I can lay a track
G
I can pick and shovel too, better swing my hammer
D7 G
but I pick and shovel too.
N.C.
Well hes kinda scared cause the yardforeman said
Boy, what can u do with all them muscles
[Verse 3]
G
Well the bad captain told John Henry
D7
Them muscles aint gonna do you any good
G C G
boy we got a steam drill, coming in the morning
so what's a driver gonna do, like you
D7 G
whats John Henry gonna do.
[Verse 4]
G
John Henry said captain I just doesnt know, i dont know
D7
but a man aint nothin but a man.
G C G
I aint gonna let a steam drill do my sweat and swinging
G
Ill die with this hammer in my hand, Ill give it a fight.
G D7 G
Ill die with this hammer in my hand
[Verse 5]
N.C.
Well John henry met that steam drill at the mountain
D7
The race was a mile and quarter to the line
G C
Well the steam drill and the man of steel kept at it, nip and tuk
D7
The drill met the deadline, then it burnt and fell apart.
G D7 G
But John Henry was one step behind.
[Verse 6]
G
Well John Henry he had a little women,
D7
and I think ladies name was Polly Anne. Polly anne thats right.
John Henry said.
N.C
Come here Polly Anne, listen to me now sugar
it seems to me like I'm bad bad sick,
and that steam drills ahead
Go up on that mountain if you can and sing and whistle
But make 'em all remember a
G D7 G
Good , working, Fightin man.
D7 G
Yeah make 'em all remember your good man.
[Verse 7]
G
A big crowd of mourners at the church house.
D7
Steel driving buddies, laid him in the sands.
G C N.C G (strum)
When the Engine roll by, on the rails that John Henry laid himself.
N.C
They all pull a whistle to say Hi to John Henry.
N.C
and they all high ball, and give a little fast chug-a-lug rhythm.
N.C
They take off their caps and point over to the spot John Henrys
N.C
resting at last and they sing:
[Outro]
G
Yonder lies a steel driving man,
D7 G
Yonder lies a steel driving man,
E
Yonder lies a steel driving man,man man
B7 E
Yonder lies a steel driving man, he aint all steam
E
Yonder lies a steel driving man,
B7 E
Yonder lies a steel driving man,
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