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
Jam Along & Learn...
The storytellers and I were doing a show down in Meridian, Mississippi, and these friends
real old book about John Henry.
if they let me read this old book, I'd probably write a song about it.
did, and I did, and I called it More About John Henry.
Henry was a black man.
don't [F] ever shine.
He didn't [Eb] know his own strength, but he [Bb] did not swing a hammer [Eb] all the time.
[Bb] on his mind.
real old book about John Henry.
if they let me read this old book, I'd probably write a song about it.
did, and I did, and I called it More About John Henry.
Henry was a black man.
don't [F] ever shine.
He didn't [Eb] know his own strength, but he [Bb] did not swing a hammer [Eb] all the time.
[Bb] on his mind.
100% ➙ 133BPM
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. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
