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More About John Henry chords by
Tom T. Hall
Tom T. Hall

N/A
Verse 1
G

(The Storytellers and I were doing a show down in Meridian,

Mississippi.

And these friends of mine came up and

brought me this real old book

About John Henry and they told me if they

let me read this old book I'd

Probably write a song about it.

And they did and I did and I called

it more About John Henry.)
Verse 2
G

First of all John Henry was a black man

He was born where the sun
D

don't ever shine
G

He was six feet tall he didn't
C

know his own strength
G

But he did not swing

the hammer all the time
C
G

Of course he didn't John Henry had
D
G

some women on his mind.
Verse 3
G

There was a woman cross the street

named Poor Selma
D

Loved John Henry like a natural man
G

John Henry quit Poor Selma just
C

like he was quitting work
G
C

He loved that stinger of Julie Anne
G

And what is it a stinger is
D

something else you understand.
Verse 4
G

There was a man named Stacker Lee
D

in Argenta a little man with a big 44
G

You know he shot his woman down
C

and took a shot at Poor Selma
G

But ol' Stacker won't

be shooting anymore
C
G

He had to quit it John Henry
D
G

laid him dead on the floor.
Verse 5
G

John Henry threw Stacker

Lee in the river
D

Then he said I've got a say so to say
G

He broke out in a song that
C

was wrote by Blind Leonard
G

He said Julie Anne I'm singing my say
C
G

He said I love you but I do not
D

like your lowdown ways.
G
Ab
Verse 6


Well, John Henry went to

a conjuring woman
Eb

Said this misery ain't no way to live
Ab

Somebody's back door creeping
Db

on my pretty Julie Anne
Ab

Conjure woman had a say so to give
Db
Ab

She said, "John Henry." she said,
Eb
Ab

"That's just the way things is."
Verse 7
Ab

Well, John Henry went to

a hell busting man
Eb

Said I'm tormented deep in my soul
Ab

Well, that hell buster prayed
Db

John Henry's sins away
Ab

And they tell me that the thunder did roll
Db
Ab

Sweet Jesus what a frightening
Eb
Ab

sight to behold.
Verse 8
Ab

From that day on John Henry

was a changed man
Eb

All he did was just work all the time
Ab

Well, he worked till the muscles
Db

in his body gave out
Ab

Then he kept right on
Db

a working in his mind
Ab

Don't do it cause a man ain't
Eb
Ab

supposed to work all the time.
Verse 9
Ab

Julie Anne said John Henry I love you

Poor Selma said John Henry
Eb

you're my man
Ab

Ruby said I'm gonna cook ye up some
Db

greens and some lean meat
Ab

With corn bread in a four foot pan
Db
Ab

With lots of cracklings but John Henry
Eb
Ab

was a different kinda man.
Verse 10
Ab

Well, they allow that hard work
Ab

killed John Henry,

I'm gonna leave that allowing up to you,
Eb

Ab

Well, was he killed by hard work or
Db

was he killed by bad women
Ab
Db

Be sure that this ain't happening to you.
Verse 11
Ab

Quit working when your day's
Eb
Ab

work work is through

Cause a man ain't supposed
Eb
Ab

to work all the time
Eb

And ain't that just the way
Ab

the things is

A stinger is something else
Eb
Ab

you un derstand
Eb

Quit working when your your day's
Ab

work is through God bless you

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Chords
  • G

  • D

  • C

  • Ab

    4
  • Eb

    6
  • Db

    4

Capo: 3

Transpose: 0

0

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