SPIKE DRIVER BLUES
As recorded by Mississippi John Hurt on "Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings" (1996)*

Take this hammo and carry it to my captain.
Tell him I'm gone; tell him I'm gone.
Tell him I'm gone.
Take this hammo and carry it to my captain.
Tell him I'm gone, yes, tell him I'm gone.
I'm sure he's gone.

This is the hammo that killed John Henry,
But it won't kill me, but it won't kill me,
But it won't kill me.
This is the hammo that killed John Henry,
But it won't kill me, but it won't kill me.
Ain't gon' kill me.

It's been a long ways from east Colorado,
Honey, to my home, honey, to my home,
Honey, to my home.
It's a long ways to east Colorado,
Honey, to my home, honey, to my home.
That where I'm gone.

John Henry he left his hammo
Layin' 'side the road, layin' 'side the road,
Layin' 'side the road.

John Henry he left his hammo
All over in red, all over in red.
That's why I'm gone.

John Henry's a steel-drivin' boy,
But he went down, but he went down,
But he went down.
John Henry's a steel-drivin' boy,
But he went down, but he went down.
That's why I'm gone.


* The length of the cut is 3:13 on the above-named album and ranges from 3:13 to 3:18 on other albums. (See my note above.)