Johnny Cash - The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer Lyrics
Johnny Henry's pappy woke him up one midnightHe said "Before the sheriff comes I wanna tell you," Said "Listen boyLearn to hoist a jack and learn to lay a track learn to pick and shovel tooAnd take that hammer, It'll do anything you tell it to."John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babiesJohn Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen timesThe babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted moneyHe said, "I'll pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrowthat's the pay for a steel driver on this line."Then the section foreman said, "Hey! Hammer-swinger!I see you your own hammer boy but, what all can them muscles do?" and he said,"I can turn a jack I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too.""Can you swing a hammer, boy?" "Yes sir, I'll do anything you hire me to."Spoken:"Now ain't you somethin'! So high and mighty with all that muscle! Just goahead, boy. Pick up that hammer, pick up the hammer!"He said to get a rusted spike and swing it down three timesI'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it toGo on and do what you say you can doWith a steel-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handleJohn Henry raised it back til' it touched his heels thenThe spike went through the cross-tie and split it half in twoThirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel"Sweat! Sweat, boy! Sweat! Only two more swings!""I was born drivin' steel"Well John Henry hammered in the mountainHe'd give a grunt he give a groan every swingThe women-folks from miles around heard him and come downTo watch make the coal-steel ring "Lord! What a swinger!Watch him make the coal-steel ring"But the bad boys came up laughin' at
