Johnny Cash Legend Of John Henry`s Hammer Lyrics

Legend Of John Henry`s Hammer Lyrics

John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight

He said, "'Fore the sheriff comes I wanna tell you, listen boy"

Said, "Learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track

Learn to pick and shovel too and take my hammer

It'll do anything you tell it to"



John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies

John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times

The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money

He said, "I'll pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrow

That's the pay for a steel driver on this line"



Then the section foreman said, "Hey, hammer swinger

I see you brought your own hammer boy

But what else can all those muscles do

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?

Yes sir, I'll do anything, you hire me to



Now ain't you somethin'

So high and mighty wif 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 every inch you sink it to

Go on and do what you say you can do"



With a steep nose hammer on a four foot switch handle

John Henry raised it back 'til it touched his heels then

The spike went through the cross tie and it split it half in two

Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel



Sweat, sweat boy, sweat, you owe me two more swings

I was born for driven steel



Well John Henry hammered in the mountain

He'd give a grunt, he'd give a groan with every swing

The women folks for miles around heard him and come down

To watch him make the cold steel ring, Lord what a swinger

Just listen to that cold steel ring



But the bad boss come up laughin' at John Henry

Said, "You full of vinegar now, but you about through

We gonna get a steam drill to do your share of drivin'

Then what's all them muscles gonna do? Huh, John Henry?

Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you"



John Henry said, "I feed four little brothers

And baby sister's walkin' on her knees

Did the Lord say that machines oughtta take the place of livin'?

And what's a substitute for bread and beans? I ain't seen it

Do engines get rewarded for their steam?"



John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap

Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell

The mine boss hollered, "Get up, whoever you are, and get a pick axe

Give me enough coal to start another hell and keep it burnin'

Mine me enough to start another hell"



John Henry said to his captain," A man ain't nothin' but a man

But if you'll bring that steam drill round, I'll beat it fair and honest

I'll die with my hammer in my hand but I'll be laughin'

'Cuz you can't replace a steel drivin' man"



There was a big crowd of people at the mountain

John Henry said to the steam drill, "How is you?

Pardon me mister steam drill, I suppose you didn't hear me"

I said, "How're you?"



Well can you turn a jack, can you lay a track

Can you pick and shovel too?

Listen, this hammer swinger's talkin' to you



Two thousand people hollered, "Go, John Henry"

Then somebody hollered, "The mountain's caving in"

John Henry told the captain, "Tell the kind folks don't worry

That ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind, it keeps me breathin'

A steel driver's muscle I intend"



Captain, tell the people, move back further

I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill

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 lordy

When she blows up she'll scatter 'cross the hills



Well John Henry had a little woman

I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann

Yeah that was his good woman

John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home



He laid down to rest his weary back and early next mornin'

He said, "Come here Polly Ann, come here sugar

Ya 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 them ain't all you can do"



"Tell 'em I can hoist a jack, and I can lay a track

I can pick and shovel too, ain't no machine can

That's been proved to you"



There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house

The section hands laid him in the sand

Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid

They slow down and 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

Clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack



Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh, Lord

Yonder lies a steel drivin' man

Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh, Lord

Yonder lies a steel drivin' man



Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh, Lord

Yonder lies a steel drivin' man