Steel Drivin' Man ...(3:31)

Writer(s): Traditional
Publishing: N/A: Public Domain

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Gonna be a steel-drivin’ man
Gonna be a steel-drivin’ man

When John Henry was a little baby
You could put him in the palm of your hand
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
And said, “I'm gonna be a steel drivin' man -
“I'm gonna be a steel drivin' man.”

The captain told John Henry
“Gonna bring that steam drill ‘round
Gonna take that steam drill on to the road
Gonna whop some steel on down -
Gonna whop some steel on down”

John Henry told his captain,
“I am a Tennessee man
But before I let that steam drill beat me down
Gonna die with this hammer in my hand -
Die with this hammer in my hand”

John Henry hammered in the mountain
‘Til his hammer caught on fire
The very last words that poor John Henry said,
“Give me a cool drink of water ‘fore I die-
Give me a cool drink of water ‘fore I die”

They took John Henry to the graveyard
And they buried him down beneath the sand
Every time a big train goes by
They say, “Johnny was a steel-drivin’ man –
Johnny was a steel-drivin’ man”