John Henry chords by 
Will Wood 
N/A3 views
Key: A major•
Verse 1
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When John Henry was
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about three days old,
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was sittin' on his daddy's knee,
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He picked up a hammer and
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a little piece of steel,
Said,
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This ham mer's gon na be
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the death of me,
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Lord, Lord, Lord,
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This ham mer's gon na be
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the death of me.
Captain, he said to John Henry,
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I'm gonna bring that steam drill around
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I'm gonna bring that steam drill
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out on the job
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I'm gonna put that steel on down, Lord,
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I'm gonna put that steel on down
John Henry said to the Captain,
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Lord, a man, he ain't nothing but a man
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And before I let your steam
drill beat me down
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I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand,
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Lord, Lord
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I'm gonna die with a hammer in
Interlude 1
my hand
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Verse 2
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John Henry said to his shaker,
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Shaker why don't you sing
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Look as I'm swinging thirty pounds
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from my hips on down
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And I listen to their cold steel ring,
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Lord Lord
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An d I listen to their cold steel ring
The man who invented the steam drill,
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he thought he was mighty fine.
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Oh, but John Henry,
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he made fifteen feet
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at the steam drill only.
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And I, Lord, invented the steam drill only.
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John Henry hammered in the mountains
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His hammer was striking fire
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But he worked so hard
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that he broke his poor heart
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John Henry laid down
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a hammer an d died
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Lord, Lord, Lord
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John Henry laid down a hammer and died
John Henry had a woman
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by the name of Polly Ann
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And when John Henry took sick
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an d he lay down in his bed
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Well, Polly cheated steel like a man,
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Lord, Lord
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Polly cheated steel like a man
John Henry had a little baby
You could hold him in
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the palm of your hand
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And the last words I ever heard
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that poor little boy say
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Is, my daddy was a steel -driving man,
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Lord, Lord
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Oh, my daddy was a steel -driving man
Well, lately, every mornin',
mornin'
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Some groovin' began to sing
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Oh, you can hear John Henry's ham mering,
oh boy
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You can hear John Henry's ham mering,
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oh boy
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You can hear John Henry's
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ham mering
Said, you can hear John
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Henry's ham mering,
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oh boy
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You can hear John Henry's hammer ing
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TunerE A D G B E
ChordsA D E
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D
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Capo: 2
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