Chords for Johnny Cash-Legend of John Henry's Hammer

_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ John Henry Pappy woke him up one midnight.
[Abm] He said, before the sheriff comes, I want to tell you, [E] listen boy, [Ab] said, learn to ball
a jack, learn to lay a track, learn to pick and shovel too, and take my hammer.
It'll do [Eb] anything you [Ab] tell it to.
_ John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies.
John Henry Pappy broke jail about a dozen times.
The babies all got sick when the doctor wanted money.
He said, I'll pay you a quarter at a time, starting tomorrow.
That's a pay for a steel driver on his life. _
Then the section foreman said, hey, hammer swinger, _ I see you brought your own hammer,
boy, but what else can all them muscles do?
And he said, I can turn a jack, I can lay a track, I can pick and shovel too.
Can [Eb] you swing a hammer, boy?
Yes, I'll do anything.
[Ab] _ _ [Dbm] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ I hate you, son, [Abm] so high and mighty with your muscle.
[Bb]
Just go ahead, boy, and pick up that hammer.
Pick up the [Abm] hammer.
[Ab] He said, get a rusted spike and swing it down three [E] times.
I'll pay [Ab] you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it too.
Go on and do what you say you can do.
With a steep nose hammer on a four foot switch handle, John [Db] Henry raised his back till it
touched his heels then.
[Ab] The spike went through the cross tie [Db] and split it half [Ab] in two.
Thirty-five cents a day for driving steel.
Sweat, sweat, boy, [Bb] sweat.
You owe me two more swings.
I was born to [Eb] drive steel. _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Well, John Henry hammered in the mountain.
He'd give a grunt and give a groan at [C] every swing.
[F] The women folks were miles around.
Birdie men come down to watch him make the gold steel ring.
Lord, what a swinger.
Just listen to [C] that gold [F] steel ring.
[Ab] _ _ _ _ _
But the bad boys come up last in that John Henry.
Said, you full of vinegar now, boy, you bow through.
_ You're going to get a steam drill to do your share driving.
And what's all them muscles going to do, huh, John Henry?
Going to take a little [Eb] bit of vinegar out of you.
_ [Ab] John Henry said, I feed four little brothers.
_ Baby sisters walking [Eb] on her knees.
[Ab] _
Did the Lord say that machines ought to take the place of living?
_ And what's a substitute for bread and beans?
I ain't seen it.
Do engines get [Eb] rewarded for [Ab] their steam? _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Abm]
John _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap. _
Had 30 minutes to rest before the [Eb] bell.
[Ab] The mine boss hollered, get up, whoever you are, and get a pickaxe.
Give me enough coal to start another hill.
Keep burning.
Mine me enough to start another hill.
_ John Henry said to his captain, a man ain't nothing [Eb] but a man.
But [Ab] if you bring that steam drill around, I'll beat it fair and honest.
I'll die with my hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughing,
because you can't [Eb] replace a [Ab] steel driving man.
_ There was a big crowd of people at the mountain.
_ John Henry said to the steam [Eb] drill, how is you?
_ [Ab] Pardon me, Mr.
Steam Drill, I suppose you didn't hear me.
I said, _ _ well, can you turn the jack?
Can you lay a track?
Can you pick and shovel too?
Listen to hammer swingers [Eb] talking to you.
[Ab] _
_ _ _ [N] _ _ Shhh. _
_ Shh.
Shh.
_ [Ab] Shh.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Two thousand people hollered, go, let me.
And [N] somebody hollered, the numbers came [Eb] again.
[Fm] John Henry told the captain, tell the kind folks, don't worry.
It ain't nothing but my hammer [F] sucking wind.
It keeps me breathing.
This steel [C] driver's muscle, [F] I ain't ten.
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _
_ _ Captain, tell the people, move back, brother. _
I'm at the finish line, and there ain't no drill.
It's so far behind, but yet ain't got the brains to quit it.
When she blows up, she'll scatter across the hills, Lord, Lord.
When she blows up, she'll scatter across the hills.
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Well, John Henry had a little woman.
I believe the lady's name [C] was Pollyanne.
Yeah, that [F] was his good woman.
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home.
He laid down to rest his weary back, and early next morning, he said,
come here, Pollyanne, come here, sugar.
You know, I believe this is the first time I ever watched the sun come up that I couldn't come up.
Take my hammer, Pollyanne, and go to that railroad.
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it.
And when you're swinging with the lead man, they'll all know.
They'll all know you're John Henry's woman, but tell them that ain't all you can do.
Tell them, I can hoist a jack [Bb] and [F] I can play the track.
I can pick and [F] shovel.
Ain't no machine can that [C] been [F] proved to you.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house.
_ The section hands laden [Eb] in the sand.
_ [Ab] Trains go by from the rails John Henry laid.
_ They slow down when _ they come to the place where John Henry's laid.
_ Tell them, say, morning, steel driver.
You sure was a hammer.
Then they go on by, picking up a little speed.
Clickety-clack.
Clickety-clack.
Clickety-clack.
Round the lies of steel driving man.
Oh, the lies of steel driving man.
_ [Bbm] _ The lies of steel driving man.
_ Round the lies of steel driving man.
[Db] _ [Bb] The lies of steel driving man. _ _