Key: G minor
Intro 1
C
B
C
Verse 1
C
B
C
Johnny drove steel till
C
and he died with his hammer in his hand, good Lord,
B
C
B
with he died with his hammer in his hand.
When Johnny Henry was
a little baby,
sitting on his mother's knee,
reached out his hand
and he grabbed a piece of steel.
Em
C
He said, now, this gonna be the death of me,
good Lord.
He said, now,
B
C
this gonna be the death of me.
B
C
Well, John Henry had a little woman.
C
B
C
Johnny got drunk, and Polly went out,
and, Lordy, she stumbled
Yes, yes, oh, Lordy,
C
B
she stumbled steel just like a man.
B
C
he said,
B
C
B
C
Gonna bring me a steel drill around,
And then I'll whop
Black boy, I'm gonna whop
B
C
B
C
your steel right down.
B
C
B
C
Well now, John Henry said to the cap 'n,
B
C
He say, a man ain't nothin' but a man
B
C
B
He say, I'll beat your steam drill
C
B
to the top of that hill
good Lord
B
C
B
C
Well, I'll die with my ammo in my hand
John Henry said to me, Shaker,
Shaker,
why don't you sing
Though I'm ninety pounds from my hips on down,
can't you listen at that coke steel ring,
good boy, can't you listen
C
B
Well John Henry said to his shaker,
shaker,
C
B
why don't you pray?
If I should miss that itty bitty piece of steel,
C
B
well tomorrow be your burial day,
Lord, Lord.
Well, now, Jim, I'll be your bury -in -there.
Interlude 1
C
B
Verse 2
B
C
B
Hammer was strikin'
C
B
fire
Hammered so hard that he
broke his poor heart
C
B
John Henry said to the captain
B
C
B
you can't drive steel anymore, good boy,
B
C
Well some said he was born in Texas,
C
B
I don't give a damn where
Johnny was born,
good lord
C
B
Well, now, Johnny was a
steel -drivin' man
C
B
Well, we took John Henry
to the White House
C
B
We buried him in Mr.
Every locomotive been
There lies that steel -drivin' man,
good Lord, sayin'
There lies that steel -drivin' man,
good Lord, sayin'
There lies that steel -drivin' man,
good Lord, sayin'
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TunerE A D G B E
ChordsC B Em
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