C
Well when John Henry was a little baby boy
                                G
No bigger than the palm of your hand
C
Well John Henrys ma looked down at him and said
                                      Am
John you gonna be a steel driving man lord, lord
C                   G             C
John you gonna be a steel driving man

[Verse 2]
C
Now the man who invented that ol’ steam drill
                         G
He thought it was mighty fine
C
But John Henry drove it down fifteen feet
                                        Am
While the steam drill only made it nine lord, lord
C                G       C
steam drill only made it nine

[Verse 3]
C
Well John Henrys captain he sat out on a rock
                              G
Said boys this tunnels caving in
C
Well John Henry smiled at his captain and said
                                          Am
“boss that’s just my hammer suckin’ wind”
C                    G              C
“boss that’s just my hammer suckin’ wind”

[Verse 4]
C
Well John Henry hammered in that ole mountain side
                          G
Till his hammer caught on fire
C
The last poor words that ole John Henry said
                                          Am
“give me a cool drink of water for I die” lord, lord
C                        G          C
“give me a cool drink of water for I die”

[Verse 5]
C
Well John Henry had a little woman
                   G
Her name was Polly Anne
C
well John he got sick lord, he had to go to bed
                                  Am
Polly drove that steel like a man lord, lord
C                G            C
Polly drove that steel like a man
C
Well they took John Henry to the graveyard
                           G
Put him six feet under the sand
C
Now every time that ol train goes rolling by
                                             A
They say “yonder lies that steel drivin man” lord, lord
C                          G            C
They say “yonder lies that steel drivin man”