harry belafonte
john henry
John Henry he could hammer, He could whistle, he could sing He went to the mountain early in the mornin' Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord Just to hear his hammer ring. Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord Just to hear his hammer ring.  When John Henry was a little baby, Sittin' on his daddy's knee He picked up a hammer, a little piece of steel, Said hammer be the death of me, Lord, Lord Said hammer be the death of me Said hammer be the death of me, Lord, Lord Said hammer be the death of me  When John Henry's fam'ly needed money, Said he didn't have but a dime If you wait 'til the red sun goes down I'll get it from the man in the mine, Lord, Lord I'll get it from the man in the mine I'll get it from the man in the mine, Lord, Lord I'll get it from the man in the mine  Well John Henry went to the Captain Said the captain, what can you do I can hoist a jack, I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too, Lord, Lord I can pick and shovel too I can pick and shovel too, Lord, Lord I can pick and shovel too  Well the captain said to John Henry, Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round Gonna bring me a steam drill out on the job Gonna whup that steel on down, Lord, Lord Whup that steel on down  Well John Henry said to the captain, Oh a man ain't nothin' but a man 'Fore I'd let your steam drill beat me down, I'd die with my hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord Die with my hammer in my hand  Well John Henry said to the captain, Looka yonder what I see, Hole done choke, drill done broke, And you can't drive steel like me, Lord, Lord Can't drive steel like me Oh no, you can't drive steel like me, no no Can't drive steel like me  Well John Henry drove into the mountain, His hammer was strikin' fire He drove so hard he broke his poor heart And he laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord Laid down his hammer and he died He laid down his hammer and he died, Great God Laid down his hammer and he died  Oh they took John Henry to the White House And they buried him in the sand Every locomotive come roarin' by Says there lies a steel drivin' man, Lord, Lord There lies a steel drivin' man Says there lies a steel drivin' man, Lord, Lord There lies a steel drivin' man  Shaker why don't you sing, I'm throwin' twelve pounds from my hips on down, Just listen to the cold steel ring, Just listen to the cold steel ring  Well the Captain says to John Henry I believe this mountains cavin' in John Henry said to the Captain, 'T ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind, 'T ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind  The man that invented the steamdrill, Thought he was mighty fine, John Henry made his fifteen feet, The steamdrill only made nine, The steamdrill only made nine  Well John Henry had a little woman, And her name was Polly Ann