John Henry Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[G]When John Henry was
about three [C]days old,
[G]was sittin' on his[D] daddy's knee,
He [G]picked up a hammer and
[C]a little piece of steel,
Said,
This ham[G]mer's gon[D]na be
the death [G]of me,
[C]Lord, Lord, Lord,
This ham[G]mer's gon[D]na be
the death [G]of me.
Captain, he said to John Henry,
I'm gonna bring that steam drill [D]around
I'm gonna bring [G]that steam drill
[C]out on the job
I'm gonna put [G]that [D]steel on [G]down, [C]Lord,
I'm gonna put that [D]steel on [G]down
John Henry said to the Captain,
Lord, a man, he ain't nothing but [D]a man
And before [G]I let your s[C]team
drill beat me down
I'm gonna die [G]with [D]a hammer in m[G]y hand,
Lord, [C]Lord
I'm gonna die [G]with a hammer in

[Interlude 1]
my hand
[G][D][G]
[C][G][D][G][C][G][D]
[G]

[Verse 2]
John Henry said to [G]his shaker,
Shaker why don't you [D]sing
Look as I'm swinging [G]thirty pounds
from [C]my hips on down
And I listen [G]to [D]their cold steel [G]ring,
[C]Lord Lord
An[G]d I listen to [D]their cold steel [G]ring
The man who invented the steam drill,
he thought he was mighty [D]fine.
Oh, [G]but John Henry,
he [C]made fifteen feet
at [G]the steam [D]drill only.
And [G]I, [C]Lord, invented the [G]steam [D]drill only.[G][D][G]
[C]
[G][D][G][C][G][D]
[G]
[D][G][C][G][D]
[G][C][G][D][G]
John Henry hammered in the mountains
His hammer was striking [D]fire
But he worked [G]so hard
that [C]he broke his poor heart
John Henry [G]laid [D]down
a hammer [G]an d died
[C]Lord, Lord, Lord
John Henry [D]laid down a hammer [G]and died
John Henry had a woman
by the name of Polly [D]Ann
And when John [G]Henry took sick
an[C]d he lay down in his bed
Well, Polly [G]cheated [D]steel like [G]a man,
[C]Lord, Lord
Polly [G]cheated [D]steel like [G]a man
John Henry had a little baby
You could hold him in
the palm of [D]your hand
And the last [G]words I ever heard
[C]that poor little boy say
Is, my daddy [G]was [D]a steel -driving [G]man,
[C]Lord, Lord
Oh, my daddy [G]was [D]a steel -driving [G]man
Well, lately, every mornin',
mornin'
Some groovin' began to [D]sing
Oh, you [G]can hear John Henry's [C]hammering,
oh boy
You can [G]hear [D]John Henry's [G]hammering,
[C]oh boy
You [G]can [D]hear John Henry's
[G]hammering
Said, you can hear John
[D]Henry's [G]hammering,
[C]oh boy
[C]You can [G]hear John [D]Henry's hammer[G]ing