John Henry, he was a little baby-boy Sittin' on his daddy's knee There he picked up a hammer in his little right hand "Hammer gonna be the death of me! Hammer gonna be the death of me!" John Henry, he said to his captain "Captain, you goin' into town Bring me back a nine-pound hammer For I want to see that railroad down, Lord, Lord I want to see that railroad down "Well", the captain said to John Henry "I'm gonna bring my steam drill around Gonna whup that steel on down, down, down Whup that steel on down!" John Henry said to the captain: "You can bring your steam drill around Gonna bring my steam drill out on the job I'll beat your steam drill down, down, down Beat your steam drill down!" John Henry said to his shaker "Shaker you had better pray If you miss your six feet of steel It'll be your buryin' day, day, day It'll be your buryin' day!" Now the shaker said to John Henry "Man ain't nothing but a man But before I'd let that steam drill beat me down I'd die with an hammer in my hand hand hand! I'd die with an hammer in my hand!" John Henry had a little woman Her name was Polly Anne John Henry took sick and was laid up in bed While Polly handled steel like a man, man, man Polly handled steel like a man! They took John Henry to the graveyard Laid him down in the sand Every locomotive comin' a-rolling by, by, by Hollered: "There lies a steel-drivin' man, man, man! There lies a steel-drivin' man!"