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John Henry
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John Henry
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John Henry was a li'l baby, uh-huh,
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Sittin' on his mama's knee, oh, yeah,
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Said: "De Big Bend Tunnel on de C & O road
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Gonna cause de death of me,
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Lawd, Lawd. Gonna cause de death of me.
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John Henry, he had a woman,
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Her name was Mary Magdalene,
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She would go to de tunnel and sing for John,
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Jes' to hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lawd, Lawd, jes' to hear
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John Henry's hammer ring.
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John Henry had a li'l woman,
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Her name was Lucy Ann,
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John Henry took sick an' had to go to bed,
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Lucy Ann drove steel like a man,
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Lawd, Lawd, Lucy Ann drove steel like a man.
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Cap' says to John Henry,
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Gonna bring me a steam drill 'round,
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Gonna take dat steam drill out on de job, Gonna whop dat steel on
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down, Lawd, Lawd, gonna whop dat steel on down.
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john Henry tol' his cap',
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Lightnin' was in his eye;
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Cap', bet yo' las' red cent on me,
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Fo' I'll beat it to de bottom or I'll die,
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Lawd, Lawd, I'll beat
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it to de bottom or I'll die."
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Sun shine hot an' burnin',
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Wer''t no breeze a-tall,
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Sweat ran down like water down a hill,
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Dat day John Henry let his hammer fall,
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Lawd, Lawd, dat day John Henry let his hammer fall.
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John Henry went to de tunnel,
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An' dey put him in de lead to drive,
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De rock so tall an' John Henry so small,
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Dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried,
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Lawd, Lawd, dat he lied down his hammer an' he cried.
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John Henry started out on de right hand,
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De steam drill started on de lef'---
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"Before I 'd let dis steam drill beat me down,
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I'd hammer my fool self to death,
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Lawd, Lawd, I'd hammer my fool self to death."
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White man tol' John Henry,
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"Nigger, damn yo' soul,
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You might beat dis steam an' dr;ll of mine,
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When de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol',
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Lawd, Lawd, when de rocks in dis mountain turn to gol'.
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john Henry said to his shaker,
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"Nigger, why don' you sing?
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I'm throwin' twelve poun's from my hips on down,
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Jes' listen to de col' steel ring,
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Lawd, Lawd, jes' listen to de col' steel ring."
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Oh, de captain said to John Henry,
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"I b'lieve this mountain's sinkin' in,
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John Henry said to his captain, oh my!
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"Ain' nothin' but my hammer suckin' win',
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Lawd, Lawd, ain' nothln' but my hammer suckin' win."
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John Henry tol' his shaker,
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Shaker, you better pray,
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For if I miss dis six-foot steel,
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Tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day,
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Lawd, Lawd, tomorrow'll be yo' buryin' day."
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John Henry tol' his captain,
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"Looka yonder what l see ---
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Yo' drill's done broke an' yo' hole's done choke,
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An' you cain' drive steel like me,
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Lawd, Lawd, an' you cain' drive steel like me."
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De man dat invented de steam drill,
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Thought he was mighty fine.
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John Henry drove his fifteen feet,
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An' de steam drill only made nine,
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Lawd, Lawd, an' de steam drill only made nine.
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De hammer dat John Henry swung',
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It weighed over nine pound ;
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He broke a rib in his lef'-han' side,
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An' his intrels fell on de groun',
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Lawd, Lawd, an' his intrels fell on de groun'.
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John Henry was hammerin' on de mountain,
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An' his hammer was strikin' fire,
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He drove so hard till he broke his pore heart,
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An' he lied down his hammer an' he died,
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Lawd, Lawd, he lied doWn his hammer an' he died.
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All de womens in de wes',
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When dey heared of John Henry's death,
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Stood in de rain, flagged de eas'-boun' train,
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Goin' where John Henry fell dead,
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Lawd, Lawd, goin' where John Henry fell dead.
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John Henry's lil mother,
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She was all dressed in red,
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She jumped in bed, covered up her head,
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Said she didn' know her son was dead,
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Lawd, Lawd, didn' know her son was dead.
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John Henry had a pretty lil woman,
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An' de dress she wo' was blue,
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An' de las' wards she said to him:
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"John Henry, I've been true to you,
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Lawd, Lawd, John Henry I've been true to you."
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"Oh, who's gonna shoe yo' lil feetses,
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An' who's gonna glub yo' han's,
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An' who'g gonna kiss yo' rosy, rosy lips,
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An' who's gonna be yo' man,
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Lawd, Lawd, an' who's gonna be yo' man?"
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Dey took John Henry to de graveyard,
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An' dey buried him in de san',
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An' every locomotive come roarin' by,
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Says, "Dere lays a steel-drivin' man,
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Lawd, Lawd, dere lays a steel-drivin' man."
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From American Ballads and Folk Songs, Lomax
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@hero @work @train
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filename[ JHNHENRY
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play.exe JHNHENRY
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RG
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===DOCUMENT BOUNDARY
The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer
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