Music
Not all the heroes
in the old west herded cattle.
Some of them helped lay the silver
rails across this vast land.
They were hard -working men who worked from sun up till sun down,
driving spikes and laying railroad track.
Let me tell you about one of them.
John
Henry was born on a cold, cloudy day
When the sun refused to shine
The very first sound
John
Henry ever heard
Was the mail train rattling down the line
Yes, it was the mail train rat
tling down the line
When
John
Henry was a little bitty boy
No bigger than the palm of your hand
He picked up a hammer and
a little piece of steel
He said,
Johnny gonna be a steel -driving man,
yes he is
Johnny gonna be a steel -driving man
Gun to
Henry, he said to the captain I was born
to be a steel -drivin' man
I swing a nine -pound hammer
like a bulldog swings his chain
I can drive more steel than anybody can
Try me out
I can drive more steel than anybody can
And the captain said to
John
Henry
I don't know what I'd use you for
I got a steam drill coming on that
southbound evening train
I don't need no steel drivers anymore,
no I don't
I don't need me no steel drivers anymore
Well they brought that
steam drill out on the job
Here comes
John
Henry with a hammer in each hand
John
Henry, said to
Captain
I know I ain't nothin' but a man
But before I let that old
steam drill beat me down
I'd die with my hammer in my hand
You watch me
I'd die with my hammer in my hand
They brought that steam
drill out to the
Shenandoah
Cut
The captain, he started to laugh
But every time that steam drilled
Laid a mile of track
John
Henry laid a mile and a half
Sparks were flying
John
Henry laid a mile and a half
There's an awful lot of stories
About the legends of the
West
Stories about them hard working men
But when it comes to driving steel
Everybody ought to know
Oh,
John
Henry was the best there's
ever been
John
Henry, he had him a little baby boy
Named him
Abraham
When the people would see
That little boy, they'd say
He's the son of that steel -driving man
Must be proud
He's the son of that steel -driving man
Cause
John
Henry was a steel -driving man
So then,
John
Henry was a steel -drivin' man