John Henry Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Intro 1]
[Bm][D]
[A][D][G][D][G]
[D][Bm][D][A][D]
Well, [G]John

[Verse 1]
[D]
Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his [A]dady's knee
He pick [D]up a hammer and [G]a little piece of steel,
And cried, [D]"Hammer's gonna [G]be the death of [D]me,
Lord, [Bm]Lord
[D]Hammer's gonna [A]be the death of [D]me"

[Verse 2]
Now [D]the captain he said to John Henry,
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill [A]around
I'm [D]gonna bring that steam
drill out [G]on these tracks
I'm gonna [D]knock that [G]steel on [D]down,
God, [Bm]God
I'm gonna [D]knock that [A]steel on [D]down"

[Verse 3]
John [D]Henry told his captain,
"Lord, man ain't nothin'
but a [A]man
[D]But efore I let that steam
[G]drill beat me down
I'm gonna [D]die with a ham[G]mer in my [D]hand,
Lord, [Bm]Lord
I'll [D]die with a ham[A]mer [D]in my hand"

[Interlude 1]
[A]
[D][G][D][G][D]
[Bm][D][A][D]

[Verse 4]
John [D]Henry driving on the right side
That steam drill driving on the [A]left
Says, [D]"' Fore I'll let your
steam [G]drill beat me down
I'm gonna [D]hammer my[G]self to [D]death,
Lord, [Bm]Lord,
I'll [D]hammer my fool [A]self to [D]death"

[Verse 5]
Well, [D]captain said to John Henry,
"What is that storm I [A]hear?"
John [D]Henry said,
"That ain't no [G]storm Captain
That's [D]just my [G]hammer in [D]the air,
Lord, [Bm]Lord
That's [D]just my [A]hammer in the [D]air"

[Verse 6]
John [D]Henry said to his shaker
"Shaker, why don't you [A]sing?
'Cause [D]I'm swigin' thirty pounds
from my [G]hips on down
Yeah, [D]listen to my [G]cold steel [D]ring,
[A]Lord, [Bm]Lord
[D]Listen to my [A]cold [D]steel ring"

[Interlude 2]
[D][A][D]
[G][D][G][D]
[Bm][D][A][D]
[A][D]
[G][D][G][D][Bm][D][A]
[D]

[Verse 7]
John [D]Henry, he hammered in the mountains
His hammer was striking [A]fire
But [D]he worked so hard; it
[G]broke his heart
John [D]Henry laid [G]down his hammer and [D]died,
[A]Lord, [Bm]Lord
John [D]Henry laid [A]down
his hammer [D]and died

[Verse 8]
Well, now [D]John Henry, he had him a woman
By the name of [A]Polly Ann
She walked [D]out to those tracks
Picked [G]up John Henry's hammer
Polly [D]drove [G]steel like a [D]man, Lord, [Bm]Lord
[D]Polly drove that [A]steel like [D]a man

[Verse 9]
Well [D]every, every Monday morning
When the blue bird he begin to [A]sing
You [D]could hear John Henry
from [G]a mile or more
You could [D]hear John [G]Henry's hammer [D]ring,
Lord, [Bm]Lord
You can [D]hear John [A]Henry's
hammer [D]ring
I say, You can hear John [G]Henry's hammer [D]ring,
Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring