Tom T Hall - More About John Henry Chords
Tempo:
133.4 bpm
Chords used:
B
Bb
E
Gb
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
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.
First of all, John Henry was a black man.
He was born where the sun don't [F] ever shine.
He was [Bb] six feet tall.
He didn't [Eb] know his own strength, but he [Bb] did not swing a hammer [Eb] all the time.
Of course he didn't.
John Henry [F] had some women [Bb] on his mind.
There was a woman cross the street named Poor Selma.
Loved John Henry like a natural [F] man.
[Bb] John Henry quit Poor Selma just [Eb] like he was quit work.
[Bb] He loved that stingery of [Eb] Julianne's.
And what is it?
A [Bb] stingery is something [F] else, you [Bb] understand.
There was a man named Stacker Lee in Argenta.
A little man with a big [F] 44.
You know, he [Bb] shot his woman down and took a [Eb] shot at Poor Selma.
But old Stacker won't be shooting anymore.
He had to.
John Henry [F] laid him dead [Bb] on the floor.
John Henry threw Stacker Lee in the river.
Then he said, I've got to say [F] so to say.
[Bb] He broke out in a song [Eb] that would rope a blind woman.
[Bb] He said, Julianne, I'm singing [Eb] my say.
He said, I love you, [Bb] but I do not [F] like your low [Bb] down way.
[B]
Well, John Henry went to a conjuring woman.
Said, this misery ain't no [Gb] way to live.
[B] Somebody's back door's creeping [E] on my pretty Julianne.
[B] Conjure woman had a say, so [E] to give.
She said, John Henry, [B] she said, that's just [Gbm] the way [B] things is.
Well, John Henry went to a hell-busting man.
Said, I'm tormented deep in [Gb] my soul.
Well, [B] that hell-buster brave [E] John Henry sends away.
[B] And they tell me that the thunder [E] erodes sweet Jesus.
[B] What a frightening [Gb] sight [B] to behold.
From that day on, John Henry was a changed man.
All he did was just work [Gb] all the time.
Well, [B] he worked till the muscles in [E] his body gave out.
[B] Then he kept right on working in [E] his mind, don't you?
Because [B] a man ain't supposed [Gbm] to work all [B] the time.
Julianne said, John Henry, I love you.
Poor Selma said, John Henry, you're my [Gb] man.
Ruby [B] said, I'm gonna cook you up some [E] green benthamry meat.
With [B] cornbread and a bowl of bloody [E] tan.
Lots of crackling.
But [B] John Henry was a [Gb] different kind of man.
Well, [N] they allowed that hard work kill John Henry. Hmm.
I'm gonna leave [Gb] that allowing up to you.
[B] Well, was he killed by hard work or was he [E] killed by bad women?
[B] Be sure that this ain't [E] happening to you.
[B] Quit working [Gb] when your day's [B] work is through.
For a man ain't [Gb] supposed to [B] work all the time.
And you know that just the way things is.
A singaree is something else, you understand.
Quit working when your day's work is through.
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.
First of all, John Henry was a black man.
He was born where the sun don't [F] ever shine.
He was [Bb] six feet tall.
He didn't [Eb] know his own strength, but he [Bb] did not swing a hammer [Eb] all the time.
Of course he didn't.
John Henry [F] had some women [Bb] on his mind.
There was a woman cross the street named Poor Selma.
Loved John Henry like a natural [F] man.
[Bb] John Henry quit Poor Selma just [Eb] like he was quit work.
[Bb] He loved that stingery of [Eb] Julianne's.
And what is it?
A [Bb] stingery is something [F] else, you [Bb] understand.
There was a man named Stacker Lee in Argenta.
A little man with a big [F] 44.
You know, he [Bb] shot his woman down and took a [Eb] shot at Poor Selma.
But old Stacker won't be shooting anymore.
He had to.
John Henry [F] laid him dead [Bb] on the floor.
John Henry threw Stacker Lee in the river.
Then he said, I've got to say [F] so to say.
[Bb] He broke out in a song [Eb] that would rope a blind woman.
[Bb] He said, Julianne, I'm singing [Eb] my say.
He said, I love you, [Bb] but I do not [F] like your low [Bb] down way.
[B]
Well, John Henry went to a conjuring woman.
Said, this misery ain't no [Gb] way to live.
[B] Somebody's back door's creeping [E] on my pretty Julianne.
[B] Conjure woman had a say, so [E] to give.
She said, John Henry, [B] she said, that's just [Gbm] the way [B] things is.
Well, John Henry went to a hell-busting man.
Said, I'm tormented deep in [Gb] my soul.
Well, [B] that hell-buster brave [E] John Henry sends away.
[B] And they tell me that the thunder [E] erodes sweet Jesus.
[B] What a frightening [Gb] sight [B] to behold.
From that day on, John Henry was a changed man.
All he did was just work [Gb] all the time.
Well, [B] he worked till the muscles in [E] his body gave out.
[B] Then he kept right on working in [E] his mind, don't you?
Because [B] a man ain't supposed [Gbm] to work all [B] the time.
Julianne said, John Henry, I love you.
Poor Selma said, John Henry, you're my [Gb] man.
Ruby [B] said, I'm gonna cook you up some [E] green benthamry meat.
With [B] cornbread and a bowl of bloody [E] tan.
Lots of crackling.
But [B] John Henry was a [Gb] different kind of man.
Well, [N] they allowed that hard work kill John Henry. Hmm.
I'm gonna leave [Gb] that allowing up to you.
[B] Well, was he killed by hard work or was he [E] killed by bad women?
[B] Be sure that this ain't [E] happening to you.
[B] Quit working [Gb] when your day's [B] work is through.
For a man ain't [Gb] supposed to [B] work all the time.
And you know that just the way things is.
A singaree is something else, you understand.
Quit working when your day's work is through.
Key:
B
Bb
E
Gb
F
B
Bb
E
_ _ _ _ _ _ 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.
_ _ _ First of all, John Henry was a black man.
He was born where the sun don't [F] ever shine.
He was [Bb] six feet tall.
He didn't [Eb] know his own strength, but he [Bb] did not swing a hammer [Eb] all the time.
Of course he didn't.
John Henry [F] had some women [Bb] on his mind.
There was a woman cross the street named Poor Selma.
Loved John Henry like a natural [F] man.
_ [Bb] John Henry quit Poor Selma just [Eb] like he was quit work.
[Bb] He loved that stingery of [Eb] Julianne's.
And what is it?
A [Bb] stingery is something [F] else, you [Bb] understand.
There was a man named Stacker Lee in Argenta.
A little man with a big [F] 44.
_ You know, he [Bb] shot his woman down and took a [Eb] shot at Poor Selma.
But old Stacker won't be shooting anymore.
He had to.
John Henry [F] laid him dead [Bb] on the floor.
_ John Henry threw Stacker Lee in the river.
_ Then he said, I've got to say [F] so to say.
_ [Bb] He broke out in a song [Eb] that would rope a blind woman.
[Bb] He said, Julianne, I'm singing [Eb] my say.
He said, I love you, [Bb] but I do not [F] like your low [Bb] down way.
_ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _
Well, John Henry went to a conjuring woman.
Said, this misery ain't no [Gb] way to live.
_ _ [B] Somebody's back door's creeping [E] on my pretty Julianne.
[B] Conjure woman had a say, so [E] to give.
She said, John Henry, [B] she said, that's just [Gbm] the way [B] things is.
Well, John Henry went to a hell-busting man.
Said, I'm tormented deep in [Gb] my soul.
Well, [B] that hell-buster brave [E] John Henry sends away.
[B] And they tell me that the thunder [E] erodes sweet Jesus.
[B] What a frightening [Gb] sight [B] to behold.
_ From that day on, John Henry was a changed man.
All he did was just work [Gb] all the time.
Well, [B] he worked till the muscles in [E] his body gave out.
[B] Then he kept right on working in [E] his mind, don't you?
Because [B] a man ain't supposed [Gbm] to work all [B] the time.
_ Julianne said, John Henry, I love you.
Poor Selma said, John Henry, you're my [Gb] man. _
Ruby [B] said, I'm gonna cook you up some [E] green benthamry meat.
With [B] cornbread and a bowl of bloody [E] tan.
Lots of crackling.
But [B] John Henry was a [Gb] different kind of man. _
Well, [N] they allowed that hard work kill John Henry. Hmm.
_ _ I'm gonna leave [Gb] that allowing up to you.
_ _ _ [B] Well, was he killed by hard work or was he [E] killed by bad women?
[B] Be sure that this ain't [E] happening to you.
_ [B] Quit working [Gb] when your day's [B] work is through.
For a man ain't [Gb] supposed to [B] work all the time.
And you know that just the way things is.
_ A singaree is something else, you understand.
_ _ Quit working when your day's work is through. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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.
_ _ _ First of all, John Henry was a black man.
He was born where the sun don't [F] ever shine.
He was [Bb] six feet tall.
He didn't [Eb] know his own strength, but he [Bb] did not swing a hammer [Eb] all the time.
Of course he didn't.
John Henry [F] had some women [Bb] on his mind.
There was a woman cross the street named Poor Selma.
Loved John Henry like a natural [F] man.
_ [Bb] John Henry quit Poor Selma just [Eb] like he was quit work.
[Bb] He loved that stingery of [Eb] Julianne's.
And what is it?
A [Bb] stingery is something [F] else, you [Bb] understand.
There was a man named Stacker Lee in Argenta.
A little man with a big [F] 44.
_ You know, he [Bb] shot his woman down and took a [Eb] shot at Poor Selma.
But old Stacker won't be shooting anymore.
He had to.
John Henry [F] laid him dead [Bb] on the floor.
_ John Henry threw Stacker Lee in the river.
_ Then he said, I've got to say [F] so to say.
_ [Bb] He broke out in a song [Eb] that would rope a blind woman.
[Bb] He said, Julianne, I'm singing [Eb] my say.
He said, I love you, [Bb] but I do not [F] like your low [Bb] down way.
_ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _
Well, John Henry went to a conjuring woman.
Said, this misery ain't no [Gb] way to live.
_ _ [B] Somebody's back door's creeping [E] on my pretty Julianne.
[B] Conjure woman had a say, so [E] to give.
She said, John Henry, [B] she said, that's just [Gbm] the way [B] things is.
Well, John Henry went to a hell-busting man.
Said, I'm tormented deep in [Gb] my soul.
Well, [B] that hell-buster brave [E] John Henry sends away.
[B] And they tell me that the thunder [E] erodes sweet Jesus.
[B] What a frightening [Gb] sight [B] to behold.
_ From that day on, John Henry was a changed man.
All he did was just work [Gb] all the time.
Well, [B] he worked till the muscles in [E] his body gave out.
[B] Then he kept right on working in [E] his mind, don't you?
Because [B] a man ain't supposed [Gbm] to work all [B] the time.
_ Julianne said, John Henry, I love you.
Poor Selma said, John Henry, you're my [Gb] man. _
Ruby [B] said, I'm gonna cook you up some [E] green benthamry meat.
With [B] cornbread and a bowl of bloody [E] tan.
Lots of crackling.
But [B] John Henry was a [Gb] different kind of man. _
Well, [N] they allowed that hard work kill John Henry. Hmm.
_ _ I'm gonna leave [Gb] that allowing up to you.
_ _ _ [B] Well, was he killed by hard work or was he [E] killed by bad women?
[B] Be sure that this ain't [E] happening to you.
_ [B] Quit working [Gb] when your day's [B] work is through.
For a man ain't [Gb] supposed to [B] work all the time.
And you know that just the way things is.
_ A singaree is something else, you understand.
_ _ Quit working when your day's work is through. _ _ _ _ _ _ _