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23 Dec 07 - 11:38 AM (#2221370) Subject: Lyr Add: GONNA DIE WITH MY HAMMER IN MY HAND From: Roberto GONNA DIE WITH MY HAMMER IN MY HAND The Williamson Brothers and Curry (also included in Harry Smith's Anthology). Please, help complete and correct this text. Thanks. R John Henry, he told his Captain: Man ain't nothin' but a man Before I'll be beaten by this old steam drill Lord, I'll die with my hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord Lord, I'll die with my hammer in my hand John Henry, he told his Captain: Captain, how can it be The Big Bend tunnel on the C and O road Gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord Gonna be the death of me John Henry had a little hammer Handle was made of … Everytime … …. … John Henry, he told his Shaker: Shaker you better pray For if I miss this little piece of steel Tomorrow'll be your burying day, Lord, Lord Tomorrow'll be your burying day John Henry had but one only child Had him in the palm of his hand The very last words John Henry said: Son, don't be a steel drivin' man, Lord, Lord Son, don't be a steel drivin' man John Henry had a little woman Her name was Sally Ann John Henry got sick and he could not work Sally drove the steel like a man, Lord, Lord Sally drove the steel like a man |
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23 Dec 07 - 11:39 AM (#2221372) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Amos These are a small subset of the whole song, as I am sure you know. A |
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23 Dec 07 - 12:00 PM (#2221381) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Roberto Yes, Amos. I know many recordings of this song. This time, I'm looking for the lyrics of this one, not my very favourite but a good one. I hope to get help, because the Harry Smith Anthology is widely known. R |
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23 Dec 07 - 02:10 PM (#2221449) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: 12-stringer John Henry had a little hammer Handle was made of oak Every time he hit the drill on the head Hammer ... Can't make out the last line at all, though the sound rhymes with "oak." (Sounds to me like "Hammer ... out and broke," though the rhyming word could also be "smoke".) FWIW, the Anthology Songbook just gives this verse as "unintelligible." |
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23 Dec 07 - 02:20 PM (#2221454) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Mick Pearce (MCP) I've got the Harry Smith anthology on disk here - give me a few minutes to print off the pages and I'll run through it. Mick |
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23 Dec 07 - 02:30 PM (#2221461) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Roberto There are only very minor differences from the text as given in the Harry Smith Anthology, both in the first verse: A man ain't... But before I'll Of verse 3, it merely prints (Third verse if unintelligible) and moves on to the fourth verse. Mick |
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25 Dec 07 - 03:19 AM (#2222259) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Roberto Thanks, 12-stringer, now we are a few words from the goal. R |
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27 Dec 07 - 07:36 AM (#2223119) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Jim Dixon OK, I'm being kind of imaginative here, but this is the best I can come up with: John Henry had a little hammer. Handle was made of oak. Every time he hit the drill on the head, Hammer reaches down and broke, Lord, Lord, Hammer reaches down and broke. The above verse would make more sense if there were an accompanying, contrasting verse: John Henry had another hammer, Handle was made of steel… * * * From Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend By Scott Reynolds Nelson, 2006, page 125: Other parallels between the story of Samson and the story of John Henry crop up in some unique versions of the John Henry ballad, suggesting that performers saw in John Henry's story a retelling of Samson's. One version declared:
The handle was made of bone. Every time he hit the drill on the head, He thought of regions far beyond. * * * The pages that are available through Google Book Search don't include the endnotes, so I don't know where the quoted verse came from, but I don't think it's an accurate transcription of the Williamson Brothers' verse. |
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27 Dec 07 - 08:57 AM (#2223151) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Roberto Thanks, Jim Dixon, thanks a lot. R |
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27 Dec 07 - 11:19 AM (#2223227) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Finally got round to listening to this and would suggest the following changes: 1) v1: Ignore my earlier correction from the book - they're not on the recording 2) v3: I'd agree with Jim's transcription apart from the last line, which I think is: Hammer reaches down and drove 3) v4: For if I miss this six-foot steel 4) v5: seems to be more like Fit in the palm of your hand Mick |
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28 Dec 07 - 06:51 AM (#2223605) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: GUEST,Roberto Maybe v5 says: sat in the palm of your hand... Ok for v4: For if I miss this six-foot steel |
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28 Dec 07 - 03:20 PM (#2223871) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Mick Pearce (MCP) I've been listening to v3 again, and the last line could be: Half the region done choke (or something similar). I haven't decided on that v5 line yet. Mick |
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28 Dec 07 - 10:47 PM (#2224101) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Stewie Mick, I reckon your first thought for v3 is closer. I definitely hear 'Hammer reaches down'. Could it be 'and talks'? Whatever the word is, it sounds to me that it is followed by the harmony singer singing 'Lord, Lord' in the first instance: Hammer reaches down and talks, Lord, Lord Hammer reaches down and talks v5 lines sounds to me like 'Set/sat in the palm of your hand'. --Stewie. |
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28 Dec 07 - 10:54 PM (#2224103) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Stewie Sorry, when I finally found the track in my collection, I went straight to the third verse without listening to the rest. 'Lord, Lord' is obvious from the rest of the stanzas. --Stewie. |
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29 Dec 07 - 03:03 PM (#2224496) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Mick Pearce (MCP) I think I'd be happy to go with set in v5. I've been listening to v3 again (you can't imagine how many filters/time stretches/dynamics I've applied with SoundForge listening to that verse!) and now offer another possibility: John Henry had a little hammer, Handle was made o' bone. Every time he hit the drill on the head, Hammer reaches down and groan, Lord, Lord, The hammer reaches down and groan. Mick |
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29 Dec 07 - 11:41 PM (#2224709) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Williamson Brothers' John Henry From: Stewie Once again, I reckon you've cracked it, Mick. Well done! --Stewie. |