When John Henry was just a little bitty boy

Settin' on his mammy's knee

He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel

Said, it's gonna be the death of me

It's gonna be the death of me

When John Henry was a little baby

He was no bigger than the palm of your hand

Well he's mammy looked down at little Johnny and said

Oh Johnny gonna be a steel drivin' man, Lord Lord

Oh Johnny gonna be a steel drivin' man

Well John Henry he was a steel drivin' man

He drove steel all over the land

He said before I let a steam hammer get me down

Gonna die with my hammer in my hand, Lord Lord

Gonna die with my hammer in my hand

Now John Henry went to the eternal drive

He had a steam hammer by his side

Oh the mountain was so tall, John Henry was so small

That he laid down his hammer and he cried Lord Lord

He laid down his hammer and he cried

Well, John Henry had him a lovin' little wife

And Her name was Polly Ann

Oh Johnny got sick and he had to go to bed

Polly drove steel like a man, Lord Lord

Polly drove steel like a man

Now they buried John Henry by the railroad

They laid him six feet down in the sand

And every time a freight train would hoo-hoo by

They'd say "Yonder lays that steel drivin' man

Yonder lays that steel drivin' man"