John Henry (from the album “Belafonte at Carnegie Hall”, 1959) Songtext
von Harry Belafonte

John Henry he could hammer
He could whistle, he could sing
He went to the mountain early in the mornin′
Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord
Hear his hammer ring
Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord
Hear his hammer ring

When John Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his daddy′s knee
He picked up a hammer, a little piece of steel
Said, "Hammer be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer be the death of me"

When John Henry's fam'ly needed money
Said he didn′t have but a dime
If you wait ′til the red sun goes down
I'll get it from the man in the mine, Lord, Lord
Get it from the man in the mine
I′ll get it from the man in the mine, Lord, Lord
Get it from the man in the mine


Well, John Henry went to the Captain (what happened?)
Said the captain, "What can you do?"
"I can hoist a jack, I can lay a track
I can pick and shovel too, Lord, Lord
Pick and shovel too
I can pick and shovel too, Lord, Lord
Pick and shovel too"

Well, the captain said to John Henry
"I'm gonna bring me a steam drill ′round
Gonna bring me a steam drill out on the job
Gonna whoop that steel on down, Lord, Lord
Whoop that steel on down"

But John Henry said to the captain
"Oh, a man ain't nothin′ but a man
'Fore I'd let your steam drill beat me down
I′d die with the hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord
Die with the hammer in my hand"

Well, John Henry said to the captain
"Looka yonder what I see
Hole done choke, drill done broke
And you can′t drive steel like me, Lord, Lord
Can't drive steel like me
Oh, you can′t drive steel like me, no, no
Can't drive steel like me"


Well, John Henry drove into the mountain
His hammer was strikin′ fire
He drove so hard, he broke his poor heart
And well, he laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord
Laid down his hammer and he died
Laid down his hammer and he died, Great God
Laid down his hammer and he died

Oh, they took John Henry to the White House
And they buried him in the sand
Every locomotive come roarin' by
Says, "There lies a steel drivin′ man, Lord, Lord
There lies a steel drivin' man
Says, there lies a steel drivin' man, who-wee
There lies a steel drivin′ man
Says, there lies a steel drivin′ man, Lord, Lord
There lies a steel drivin' man"