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John Henry Lyrics by Willie Watson

Folksinger Vol. 2

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[Verse 1]
John Henry when he was a baby
Sitting on his papa's knee
Well, he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
Said hammer' gonna be the death of me
Hammer gonna be the death of me, Lord
Hammer gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer gonna be the death of me
[Verse 2]
When the captain said to John Henry
Gonna bring that steam drill around
Gonna bring that steam drill out on this job
And I'll whop that steel on down, Lord
Gonna whop that steel on down
Whop that steel on down, Lord, lord
Whop that steel on down
[Verse 3]
John Henry said to the captain
You can bring that steam drill around
You can bring that steam drill out on this job
And I'll beat that steam drill down Lord
Beat that steam drill down
Beat that steam drill down, Lord, Lord
Beat that steam drill down
[Verse 4]
John Henry had a little woman
Well, her name, it was Polly Anne
John Henry took sick and had to go to bed
And Polly drove steel like a man, Lord
Polly drove steel like a man
I said, Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
Polly drove steel like a man
[Verse 5]
John Henry hammered in the mountain
Till the head of his hammer caught fire
Well he worked so hard and he broke his poor heart
And he laid down his hammer and he died, Lord
Laid down his hammer and he died
Laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord
Laid down his hammer and he died
[Verse 6]
Well every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
You can hear John Henry from half a mile
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord
Hear John Henry's hammer ring
Hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
Hear John Henry's hammer ring
Credits
Willie Watson

Willie Watson

About “John Henry” by Willie Watson

Read the complete lyrics to "John Henry" by Willie Watson from the album "Folksinger Vol. 2". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under American Folk, Folk, Country.

"John Henry" is performed by Willie Watson. from the album "Folksinger Vol. 2" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "John Henry", explore more songs by Willie Watson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"John Henry" is credited to Willie Watson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"John Henry" appears on "Folksinger Vol. 2".

Visit the Willie Watson artist page at /artist/willie-watson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.