Well the foreman said to John Henry, he said what can you do?
Line a track and I can carry a jack, pick and shovel too, lord lord pick and shovel too
John Henry said to the captain, captain how that can be
Got forty nine men on your job, you hurry nobody but me, lord lord, hurry nobody but me
John Henry was a still driving man lord lord, Henry was a railroad man
John Henry had a little wife her name was Polly Ann
When John Henry was sick and in his bad, she drove steel like a natural man, lord lord, she drove steel like a natural man
John Henry had a little wife and she began to sing
Said you don't have to worry as long as I can make this hammer ring, lord lord, as long as I can make this hammer ring
Well a peck woodpecker would woodpecker would make your head so red
I been working all the levee and the sun done by in my head, lord lord sun done by in my head
Says he where did you get your pretty little shoes woman, you dress so fine
Got the shoe off of Maxwell, I got to dress up a (?) lord lord, I got to dress up a (?) man
John Henry was a still driving man lord lord, Henry was a railroad man
John Henry went to his woman's house, told her to turn down her bed
Says he was sick and he had to lay down, he had a mighty hurtin' in his head, lord lord, mighty hurtin' in his head
Now John Henry died up in the mountain, they buried him in the clay
And the last words I heard him say Never let your woman have a way, lord lord, Never let your woman have a way
John Henry was a still driving man lord lord, Henry was a railroad man