SWANNANOA TUNNEL 2
(Traditional)

I'm going back to the Swannanoa Tunnel
That's my home, baby, that's my home

Asheville Junction, Swannanoa Tunnel
All caved in, baby, all caved in

Last December I remember
The wind blowed cold, baby, the wind blowed cold

When you hear my watchdog howling
Somebody around, baby, somebody around

When you hear that hoot owl squalling
Somebody dying, baby, somebody dying

Hammer falling from my shoulder
All day long, baby, all day long

Ain't no hammer in this mountain
Out rings mine, baby, out rings mine

This old hammer it killed John Henry
It didn't kill me, baby, couldn't kill me

Riley Gardner, he killed my partner
He couldn't kill me, baby, he couldn't kill me

This old hammer it rings like silver
It shines like gold, baby, it shines like gold

Take this hammer, throw it in the river
It rings right on, baby, it shines right on

Some of these days I'll see that woman
Well that's no dream, baby, that's no dream

Source: Bascom Lamar Lunsford 'Ballads, Banjo Tunes and Sacred Songs of Western North Carolina' Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40082.
PS.

This is much longer than the version that currently appears in the DT. The performance of it by Lunsford on the CD is simply wonderful.

--Stewie.

^^