[Verse 1]
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John Henry he was a little bitty boy;
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Sittin' on his papa's knee;
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He picked a hammer and a little piece of steel;
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Said 'Hammer be the death of me';
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'Hammer be the death of me'.
[Instrumental]
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[Verse 2]
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John Henry he had a lovely little wife;
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Her name it was Polly-Anne;
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John Henry got sick and he had to go home;
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Polly drove the steel like her man;
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Polly drove the steel like her man.
[Instrumental]
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[Verse 3]
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One day they bought a new steam-drill;
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Lord; it was a-working just fine;
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John Henry he made fourteen feet;
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While steam drill only made nine;
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Steam drill only made nine.
[Instrumental]
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[Verse 4]
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John Henry he went to the tunnel to drive;
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Said 'I am a hard working man';
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'Before I let steam drill get me down';
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'I'll die with my hammer in my hand';
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'Die with my hammer in my hand'.
[Instrumental]
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[Verse 5]
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They buried John Henry on the mountain side;
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They buried him in the sand;
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And everytime the train goes rolling by;
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Say 'yonder lies a steel-driving man';
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'Yonder lays a steel-driving man'.
[Instrumental]
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