John Henry chords by Black Irish Band

SimplifiedC · G

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Verse 1
C 
 (C major) John Henry was a little baby
G 
sitting on his pappy's  (G major) knee
C 
He  (C major) picked up a hammer
and a little piece of steel
He said, Am I gonna be the death of me,
Lord, Lord
Am I gonna be the death of me?
Now early in the morning
G 
When the bluebirds began to  (G major) sing
C 
You can  (C major) hear John Henry
G 
Out on the  (G major) line
C 
And  (C major) you can hear John Henry
Hammering, Lord, Lord
He's John Henry's hammering
Well, the captain, said to John Henry
I'm gonna bring me a steam drill round
G 
C 
 (G major) Gonna  (C major) bring me a steam drill
G 
out on  (G major) the line
C 
Got  (C major) your battle steel on down,
Lord, Lord
Whoop that old steel on down
John Henry said to the captain
G 
Captain, a man ain't nothin' but a  (G major) man
C 
And be (C major) fore I let that steam drill
beat me on down
I got to die with that hammer in my hand
Lord, Lord,
die with that hammer in my hand
John Henry said to his shaker,
G 
shaker you better pray  (G major) 
C 
Cause  (C major) if I miss that little piece
of steel
Then tomorrow's be your burying day
Lord, Lord
Tomorrow's gonna be your burying day
John Henry was driving
up there on the mountain
G 
His hammer was flashing by,  (G major) 
C 
and the  (C major) last words I heard
G 
Oh, John Henry  (G major) said,
C 
 (C major) bring me a cold drink of water
for I'll die, Lord, Lord
Cold drink of water for I'll die
John Henry, he drove fifteen feet
G 
Now steam drilling only drove  (G major) nine
C 
But he  (C major) hammered so hard
that he broke his poor heart
He licked down his hammer and he died,
Lord, Lord
He licked down his hammer and he died
They took John Henry to the tunnel
G 
And they buried him in the  (G major) sand
C 
G 
Now  (C major) every time a locomotive rolls  (G major) on by
C 
They  (C major) say there lies a steel -drivin' man,
Lord, Lord
There lies a steel -drivin' man, Lord, Lord