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