D
John Henry was a little baby
               C  G     A
Sittin' on his daddy's knee
          D                 G
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
            D              A           D         G
And cried, "Hammer's gonna be death of me, Lord, Lord
D              A              D
Hammer's gonna be the death of me"


D
Now the captain he said to John Henry
                       C     G      A
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill around
         D                       G
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks
           D          A        D          G
I'm gonna knock that steel on down, God, God
           D          A       D
I'm gonna knock that steel on down"


D
John Henry told his captain
                  C       G     A
"Lord a man ain't nothin' but a man
     D                           G
But 'fore I let that steam drill beat me down
           D          A            D           G
I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord
      D          A           D
I'll die with a hammer in my hand"


D
John Henry driving on the right side
                 C       G      A
That steam drill driving on the left
        D                           G
Says, "'fore I let your steam drill beat me down
           D        A       D            G
I'm gonna hammer myself to death, Lord, Lord,
      D         A           D
I'll hammer my fool self to death"


D
Well captain said to John Henry
              C     G  A
"What is that storm I hear?"
      D                         G
John Henry said, "That ain't no storm captain
        D       A             D          G
That's just my hammer in the air, Lord, Lord
        D       A            D
That's just my hammer in the air"


D
John Henry said to his shaker
             C     G    A
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
           D                             G
Cause I'm swingin' thirty pounds from my hips on down
       D            A          D          G
Yeah, listen to my cold steel ring, Lord Lord
D             A         D
Listen to my cold steel ring"


D
John Henry he hammered in the mountains
                C    G   A
His hammer was striking fire
        D                G
But he worked so hard it broke his heart
      D          A                   D           G
John Henry laid down his hammer and died, Lord, Lord
      D          A                  D
John Henry laid down his hammer and died


D
Now John Henry he had him a woman
               C  G  A
By the name of Polly Ann
            D                            G
She walked out to those tracks picked up John Henry's hammer
     D           A            D          G
And Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
 D                A           D
Polly drove that steel like a man


D
Well every, every Monday morning
                    C      G  A
When a blue bird he begins to sing
         D                     G
You can hear John Henry from a mile or more
         D         A              D           G
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
         D         A             D
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
               D         A              D           G
I said you can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
         D         A             D
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring