intermediate

John Henry

Key: D

Chords: 6

Doc Watson

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Chord Chart

Key:

A

C G

G7G7

A7A7

Chords used: A A7 C D G G7

Lyrics

John Henry was a steel-driving man Drove steel all over the land And he said, Fool I let that old steam drill beat me down I'll die with my hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord I'll die with my hammer in my hand Now the man that played that old steam drill He pilot mighty fine But John Henry drove down fourteen feet While that steam drill only made it nine, Lord, Lord Steam drill only made it nine John Henry's captain he said, I'm on a rock He said, I think this tunnel's falling in Then John Henry smiled at his captain and he said Now boss that's my hammer sucking wind, Lord, Lord Boss, that's my hammer sucking wind John Henry he had a sweet little woman Her name was Polly Anne And while John he was sick and he laid down on his bed Little Polly drove that steel like a man, Lord, Lord Polly drove that steel like a man John Henry hammered in the mountainside Till his hammer caught on fire And the last word that poor John Henry said Give me a cool drink of water before I die, Lord, Lord Cool drink of water before I die They took John Henry to the graveyard Six feet under the sand And every time a freight train would come a-rollin' by They say, Yonder lies a steel-driving man, Lord, Lord Yonder lies a steel-driving man

Demo Videos

About This Song

John Henry is one of America's most enduring folk ballads, telling the tragic story of a steel-driving man who raced against a steam drill. Doc Watson's powerful flatpicking version became definitive in bluegrass, though the song has been recorded by countless artists across genres since the late 1800s.

John Henry

John Henry

Jam Along

Chord Chart

A

Lyrics

Demo Videos

Bryan Sutton & Billy Strings "John Henry"

Bluegrass demo

Bluegrass demo

Bluegrass demo

About This Song