John Henry Lyrics: John Henry was about three days old / Sittin' on his papa's knee / He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel; / Said, 'Hammer's gonna be the death of me,...

The story of John Henry is traditionally told through two types of songs: ballads, commonly called "The Ballad of John Henry", and "hammer songs" (a type of work song), each with wide-ranging and varying lyrics.

This ballad tells the story of John Henry, an American folk hero. According to legend, he was the strongest and fastest railroad workers in his day during th...

John Henry, hero of a widely sung African American folk ballad. It describes his contest with a steam drill, in which John Henry crushed more rock than did the machine but died “with his hammer in his hand.”

When John Henry was a little boy A-sitting on his father's knee Says, "The Big Bend Tunnel on the C&O Road Is going to be the death of me, my babe" John he made a steel-driving man They took him to the tunnel to drive He drove so hard he broke his heart He laid down his hammer and he died, my babe O now John Hardy is a steel-driving man

The Ballad of John Henry was an Afro-American folk song dating back to the late 1800s. The song tells of a man who worked as a steel driver when the railroads were being built across Western America. John was so good at his job, that he was put up against a steam powered hammer in a race to see who would complete the job faster.

JOHN HENRY. Some say he's from Georgia, Some say he's from Alabam, But it's wrote on the rock at the Big Ben Tunnel, That he's an East Virginia Man, That he's an East Virginia man. John Henry was a steel drivin' man, He died with a hammah in his han', Oh, come along boys and line the track. For John Henry ain't never comin' back,

[G] Well John Henry was a little baby boy, no bigger than the palm of your [D] hand he [G] picked up a hammer and he said lord, lord Said Henry's gonna be a [D] steel drivin' [G] man, oh, lord...

John Henry Lyrics by Woody Guthrie from the Classic Railroad Songs from Smithsonian Folkways album- including song video, artist biography, translations and more: John Henry, when he was a baby Settin' on his mammy's knee Picked up an hammer in his little right hand Said, "Hammer b…

John Henry was a little baby, sitting on the his papa's knee He picked up a hammer and little piece of steel Said "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord