Key: B major
Intro 1
G
D
G
C
G
C
G
D
G
Verse 1
G
First of all,
John Henry was a black man
Gm
He was born out where the
G
D
sun don't ever shine
G
He was six feet tall,
C
didn't know his own strength
G
C
But he did not swing a hammer all the time
G
C
G
John Henry had some
D
G
women on his mind
There was a woman across the street
named poor Selma
D
Well, John Henry like a natural man
G
John Henry quit poor Selma
Gm
C
just like he was quitting her
G
C
He loved that little stinger, Julian
G
Little stinger was something else,
D
G
you understand was a man
named Stagger Lee
down in Argentina
Gm
G
D
A little man with a big .44
G
You know he shot his woman down,
C
took a shot at 4 -7
G
Little Stagger won't be
shootin' anymore
C
Gm
D
G
But John Henry let him get on the floor
John Henry threw Stagger Lee in the river
D
Then he said, I've gotta say, so to say
G
He broke out in a song
C
that was wrote by Lionel
G
Julianne, I'm singin' my say
C
No, I love you,
G
D
G
but I do not like your love that way
Well, John Henry went to
a conjuring woman
Said this misery just
D
ain't no way to live
G
Somebody's back door creepin'
C
on my pretty Julianne
G
The conjuring wo man
Gm
G
C
had to say so to get
G
Well, John Henry,
that's the way things is
Well, John Henry went to
a hell -bustin' man
D
Said, I'm tortured down deep in my soul
G
With that hell -bustin' frame,
Gm
C
John Henry's sins went away
Gm
G
And they tell me how the thunder rolled
C
Sweet Jesus,
Gm
G
D
Gm
G
what a frightening sight to behold
But that day on,
John Henry was a changed man
D
All he did was just work all the time
G
Well, he worked until the muscles
C
in his body came back
G
And he kept right on
C
a -workin' in his mind
G
Well, a man ain't supposed
D
G
to work all the time
D
G
His children said, Henry, I love him
His poor Selma said, John Henry,
D
you're my man
G
Oh, Ruby said, I'm gonna cook you
C
up some greasy lean meat
G
With cornbread in a four -foot pan,
C
lots of crackin'
G
D
G
John Henry was a different kind of man
They allow that hard work
D
G
kill John Henry
D
I'm gonna leave that allowing up to you
G
Was he killed by hard work
C
or killed by bad will?
G
C
Are you sure it ain't a happening to you?
G
Quit working when your
D
G
day's work is through
For a man ain't supposed
D
G
to work all the time
D
And you know that's just the way
G
D
G
C
G
things is
C
G
D
G
You
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TunerE A D G B E
ChordsG D C Gm
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