The Legend of John Henry's Hammer – English Lyrics

• By: Johnny Cash

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of American folklore with Johnny Cash's 'The Legend of John Henry's Hammer.' This song offers a glimpse into the historical context of the Industrial Revolution. Explore the themes of human versus machine and the unwavering spirit of the working class, all while improving your understanding of folk music and storytelling.

[English]

John Henry's Papy woke him up one midnight

He said before the sheriff comes I wanna tell you, listen boy

Said learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track, learn to pick and shovel too, and

Take my hammer, it'll do anything you tell it to

John Hery's mammie had about a dozen babies, John Henry's papie told tale about a

Dozen times

The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money, he said i'll pay you quarter

At a time, startin' tomorow, that's the pay for a steel driver on this line

Then the section foreman said hey hammer swinger, i see you brought your own hammer

Boy, but what else can all those 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?)

I can i'll do anything you hire me to

...

Now ain't you something so high and mighty with your muscles, just go ahead pick

Up that hammer, pick up the hammer

He said get a rusty spike and swing it down three times, i'll pay you a nickel a

Day for every inch you sink it to, go on and do what you say you can do

With a steep nose hammer on a four foot switch panel, John Henry raised it back till

It touched his heels, then the spike went through the cross tie and it split it half

In two, 35 cents a day for driven steel

(Sweat sweat boy, sweat, you owe me two more swings)

I was born for driven steel

...

Well John Henry hammered in the mountain, he'd give a grunt and he'd give groan with

Every swing, the women folks for miles around, heard him and come down, to watch him

Make the cold steel ring, lord what a swinger, just listen to that cold steel ring

But the bad boss come up laughing at John Henry, said you full of vinegar now, but

You bout through, were gonna get a steam drill to do your share of drivin, then what's

All them muscles gonna do, huh John Henry, gonna take a little bit of vinegar out

Of you

John Henry said i feed four little brothers, and my baby sister's walking on her

Knees, did the lord say that machines outta take the place of living, and what's a

Subsitute for bread and beans, I ain't seen it, do engines get rewarded for their

Steam

...

John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner now, had thirty minutes to rest before

The bell, the mine boss hollered get up whoever you are and get a pick ax, give me

Enough coal to start another hill, and keep it burning, mine me enough to start another

Hill

John Henry said to his captain, a man ain't nothin but a man, but if you bring that

Steam drill round, i'll beat it fair and honest, i'll die with my hammer in my hand

But I'll be laughing, cuz you can't replace a steel driven man

There was a big crowd of people at the mountain, John Henry said to the steam drill

How is you, pardon me mister steam drill, I suppose you didn't hear me, I said how

You, well can you turn a jack, can you lay a track, can you pick and shovel too, listen

This hammer swingers talkin' to you

...

2000 people hollered go John Henry, then somebody hollered the mountain's caving

In, John Henry told the captain, tell the kind folks not to worry, that ain't nothin

But my hammer suckin' wind, keeps me breathing, a steel drivers muscle I intend

...

Captain tell the people move back further, I'm at the finish line and I ain't no

Drill, she's so far behind you ain't got the brains to quit it, when she blows up

She'll scatter cross the hills, lord lordy, when she blows up she'll scatter cross

The hills

...

Well John Henry had a little woman, i believe the lady's name was Polly Ann, yeah

That was his good woman, John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on

Home, he layed down to rest his weary back and early next morining he said come here

Polly Ann come here sugar, ya know I believe this is the first time I ever watched

The sun come up that i couldn't come up with it

Take my hammer Polly Ann and go to that rail road, swing that hammer like you seen

Me do it, and when your swinging with the lead men, they'll all know they'll all know

Your John Henry's woman, but tell them that's ain't all I can do, tell em I can hoist

A jack, and I can lay a track, I can pick and shovel too, ain't no machine can, that's

Been proved to you

There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house, the section hands laid him

In the sand, trains go by on the rails John Henry laid, they slow down and take off

Their hats, the men do, when they come to the palce John Henrys laid, rests on his

Back, some say mornin steel driver you sure were a hammer swinger, then they go along

Pickin up speed, clikty clak, clikty clak, down there lies a steel driven man oh lord

Down there lies a steel driven man, down there lies a steel driven man oh lord, down

There lies a steel driven man

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hammer /ˈhæmər/ A1	noun - a tool with a heavy head, used for breaking things or driving in nails. verb - to hit something with a hammer.
John Henry /dʒɒn ˈhenri/ B1	noun - The protagonist of the song.
steel /stiːl/ B1	noun - a strong, hard metal made of iron and carbon. adjective - made of steel.
swing /swɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move back and forth. verb - to move with a wide arc. noun - an act of swinging
track /træk/ A2	noun - a path or road. verb - to follow or trace.
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A1	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large hill.
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A2	noun - a piece of equipment with moving parts that does a particular job.
lay /leɪ/ A2	verb - to put something down gently.
boss /bɒs/ A2	noun - a person in charge of workers or a company.
muscle /ˈmʌsl/ B1	noun - a tissue in the body that can contract, causing movement.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult human male.
drive /draɪv/ A2	verb - to operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle.
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult human female.
said /sed/ A1	verb - to utter words; express a thought or opinion.
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the fingers and thumb.
know /nəʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information.
little /ˈlɪtl/ A1	adjective - small in size or amount.

Key Grammar Structures

• John Henry's Papy woke him up one midnight

  ➔ Possessive 's (John Henry's)

  ➔ The possessive 's shows that the midnight belongs to John Henry's father.

• Said learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track, learn to pick and shovel too, and

  ➔ Imperative verbs (learn)

  ➔ The verbs 'learn' are used to give commands or instructions.

• Said learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track, learn to pick and shovel too, and Take my hammer, it'll do anything you tell it to

  ➔ Modal verb 'will' (it'll)

  ➔ The contraction 'it'll' is the contraction of 'it will', expressing future action or prediction.

• Then the section foreman said hey hammer swinger, i see you brought your own hammer Boy, but what else can all those muscles do?

  ➔ Question with modal verb 'can'

  ➔ The question uses 'can' to inquire about ability or possibility.

• And he said, I can turn a jack, I can lay a track, I can pick and shovel too

  ➔ Use of modal verb 'can' for ability.

  ➔ 'Can' is used to express John Henry's abilities to perform various tasks.

• Well John Henry hammered in the mountain, he'd give a grunt and he'd give groan with Every swing, the women folks for miles around, heard him and come down, to watch him Make the cold steel ring, lord what a swinger, just listen to that cold steel ring

  ➔ Past perfect continuous tense (he'd give)

  ➔ 'He'd give' is a contraction of 'he would give,' indicating a habitual action in the past, emphasizing the continuous nature of the action.

• But the bad boss come up laughing at John Henry, said you full of vinegar now, but You bout through, were gonna get a steam drill to do your share of drivin, then what's All them muscles gonna do, huh John Henry, gonna take a little bit of vinegar out Of you

  ➔ Contraction 'were gonna'

  ➔ 'Were gonna' is informal, equivalent to 'were going to', expressing future plans.

• John Henry said i feed four little brothers, and my baby sister's walking on her Knees, did the lord say that machines outta take the place of living, and what's a Subsitute for bread and beans, I ain't seen it, do engines get rewarded for their Steam

  ➔ Reported speech (did the lord say...)

  ➔ The phrase 'did the lord say' is an example of reported speech, relaying the content of a possible statement.

• John Henry said to his captain, a man ain't nothin but a man, but if you bring that Steam drill round, i'll beat it fair and honest, i'll die with my hammer in my hand

  ➔ Conditional sentence (if you bring... i'll beat...)

  ➔ This sentence uses a conditional structure ('if... then...') to express a consequence based on a condition.

• Captain tell the people move back further, I'm at the finish line and I ain't no Drill, she's so far behind you ain't got the brains to quit it, when she blows up She'll scatter cross the hills, lord lordy, when she blows up she'll scatter cross The hills

  ➔ Contractions 'I'm', 'I ain't', 'she's', 'you ain't', 'she'll'

  ➔ The use of contractions is common in spoken English and adds a casual tone. 'I'm' (I am), 'I ain't' (I am not), 'she's' (she is), 'you ain't' (you are not), 'she'll' (she will).