JOHN HENRY WAS A MAN O' MIGHT

John Henry was a man o' might,
John Henry was a man o' might,
John Henry was a man o' might,
He beat de iron man down.

John Henry had a hammer han',
John Henry had a hammer han',
John Henry had a hammer han',
An' he beat de iron man down.

"Lawd, Lawd, boss," he cried,
"Lawd, Lawd, boss," he cried,
"De iron man too much for me."

An' dey laid John Henry low, (3x)
He won't swing dat hammer no mo'.

John Henry was big an' strong (3x)
But de iron man brung 'im down.

John Henry was big an' brown
But de iron man brung him down.

John Henry say, "I got to go, (3x)
I can't swing de ball no mo'."

John Henry was a mighty man, (3x)
An' he swing dat hammer.

A repetitive version of "John Henry," suited to digging or driving steel.

"A vast throng of Negro workaday singers, mirrors of a race."
"Workingmen in the Southern United States from highway, construction camp, from railroad and farm, from city and countryside, a million strong."
.................
"A horde of Southern casual laborers and wanderers down that lonesome road."

The authors do not give details of collection, but the above lines from the introductory pages of the book give the singers and workers credit.

P. 237, H. W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson, 1926, "Negro Workaday Songs," Univ. North Carolina Press.