John Henry Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Intro 1]
[C][G][C]
[D][C]
[G][C]
[D][G]

[Verse 1]
John [C]Henry,
when he was a [G]baby
Settin' on his [C]mammy's knee
Picked up [D]an hammer in his
[C]little [G]rig[C]ht hand
Said, "Hammer [G]be the
[C]death of me, me, me
Hammer be the death of [G]me"

[Verse 2]
Some say he's born [C]in [G]Texas[C]
[G]Some say he'[C]s born up in Mai[G]ne
I just [C]say he was a Louisiana man
[D]Leader of a steel-driving
chain [C]chain gang
Leader on a steel-driving gang
gang Well, the [G]Captain said

[Verse 3]
to John Henry
"I'm gonna bring my steam
drill around
Gonna [C]bring my steam [D]drill out
[G]on the [C]job[G]
Gonna whup that [C]steel on [G]down,
down, down
[C]Whup that steel on down"

[Verse 4]
[G]John Henry [C]said to the Captain
(What he say?)
"You can bring [G]your [C]steam drill around
You can [D]bring [C]your steam
drill out on the job
I'll beat your steam drill down,
[G]down, down
Beat your steam drill down"
[C]John

[Verse 5]
[G]Henry said [C]to his Shaker
[G]"Shaker, you had better pray
If [C]you miss your six feet of [G]steel
I'll be your buryin' day, [C]day, day
I'll be your buryin' day"
Now, the Shaker [G]said

[Verse 6]
[C]to
John [D]Henry
(Yes sir)
[C]"Man ain't [G]nothing but a man
(No he ain't)
But before I'd let [C]that [G]steam
[C]drill [G]beat me down
(I believe him)
I'd die with an hammer in my hand,
[C]hand, hand
[G](I believe him)
I'd die with an hammer in
my [C]hand"

[Verse 7]
John Henry had a [C]little [G]woman
[C]Her name was Polly Anne
[D]John Henry [C]took sick and
[G]was [C]lai[G]d up in bed
While [C]Polly handled steel like a man,
[G]man[C],[G][C][G][C]
[G]man[C][G][C]
[D][C]
Polly [G]handled[C][G][D][G]
[C][G][C]
steel [D]like [G]a man

[Verse 8]
[C]They took John Henry to [G]the graveyard
[C]Laid him down in [D]the sand
[C]Every locomotive comin' a-rolling [G]by
by
Hollered, there lies a steel-drivin' man,
man, man
man
There lies [C]a steel-drivin' man
[G]man
There lies a steel-drivin' man, man, man
man
There lies a [D]steel-drivin' man
[G]man