capo 1st fret
intro :
| | : G | G | G | G : | |
| G | G |
G
john henry’s pappy woke him up one midnight .
D
he said , “before the sheriff comes , i wanna tell you .
G C G
listen boy , ” he said , “learn to ball a jack , learn to lay a track .
learn to pick and shovel too . and take my hammer .
D G
it’ll do anything you tell it to .
n . C . G
john henry’s mammy had about a dozen babies .
D
john henry’s pappy broke jail about a dozen times .
G C G
the babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money ,
he said : “i’ll pay you a quarter at a time , startin’ tomorrow .
D G
that’s pay for a steel driver on this line . ”
G
then the section foreman said , “hey , hammer swinger ,
n . C .
i see you brought your own hammer , boy ,
but what else can all them muscle do?”
G
and he said , “i can turn a jack , i can lay a track .
i can pick and shovel too . ” ( “can you swing a hammer , boy” )
D G
“yes sir , i can do anything you hire me to . ”
G
( “now , ain’t you somethin’ , so high and mighty with your muscles .
just go ahead , boy , and pick up that hammer . pick up the hammer . ” )
he said , “get a rusty spike and swing it down three times .
i’ll pay you a nickel a day for ev’ry inch you sink into .
D G
go on and do what you say you can do . ”
G
with a steep – nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle ,
D
john henry raised it back till it touched his heels .
G C G
then the spike went through the crosstie and split it half in two .
thirty five cents a day for drivin’ steel .
( “sweat , sweat boy , sweat . you owe me two more swings . ” )
E
“i was born for drivin’ steel . ”
E
well , john henry hammered in the mountain .
B7
he’d give a grunt and he’d give a groan with every swing .
E A E
the women folks for miles around heard him and came down
to watch him make the cold steel ring . lord , what a swinger .
B7 E G
just listen to that cold steel ring .
G
but the bad boss came up laughin’ at john henry .
D
said , “you full of vinegar now , but you ’bout through .
G
we gonna get a steam drill to do you share if drivin’ .
then what’s all them muscle gonna do , huh , john henry?
D G
gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you . ”
G
john henry said , “i feed four little brothers
D
and baby sister’s walkin’ on her knees .
n . C .
did the lord say that machines oughta take the place of livin’?
and what’s the substitute for bread and beans? i ain’t seen it .
G
do engines get rewarded for their steam?”
G
john henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap;
D
had thirty minutes to rest before the bell .
G C G
the mine boss hollered , “get up , who – ever you are and get a pickax .
give me enough coal to start another hill and keep it burnin’ .
D G
mine me enough to start another hill . ”
G D
john henry said to his captain , “a man ain’t nothin’ but a man .
G C G
but if you’ll bring that steam drill around i’ll beat it fair and hon – est .
i’ll die with a hammer in my hand , but i’ll be laughin’ ,
D G
’cause you can’t replae a steel drivin’ man . ”
G
there was a big crowd of people at the mountain .
D
john henry said to the steam drill , “how is you?
n . C .
pardon me , mister steam drill . i suppose you didn’t hear me .
i said , how are you? huh?
G
well , can you turn a jack , can you lay a track?
can you pick and shovel too?
D G n . C . E
listen , this hammer swinger’s talkin’ to you . ”
E
two thousands people hollered , “go , john henry!”
B7
then somebody hollered , “the mountain’s caving in!”
E
john henry told the captain , “tell the kind folks don’t to worry .
it ain’t nothin’ but my hammer suckin’ wind . it keeps me breathin’ .
B7 E G
this steel driver’s muscle , i ain’t tin .
G
captain , tell the people move back farther .
D
i’m at the finish line and there ain’t no drill .
G
it’s so far behind but yet ain’t got the brains to quit it .
when she blows up she’ll scatter ’cross the hills , lord , lord .
D G n . C . E
when she blows up she’ll scatter ’cross the hills . ”
E
well , john henry had a little woman .
B7
i believe the lady’s name was polly ann .
n . C .
yeah , that was his good woman .
john henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home .
he lay down to rest his weary back . and early next mornin’ he said ,
“come here polly ann . 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 , polly ann , and go to that railroad .
swing that hammer like you seen me do it .
and when you’re swingin’ with the lead man , they’ll all know ,
they’ll all know you’re john henry’s woman .
but , but tell ’em that ain’t all you can do .
E A E
tell ’em i can hoist a jack , and i can lay a track .
i can pick and shovel too . ain’t no machine can .
B7 E n . C . G
that’s been proved to you . ”
G
there was a big crowd of mourners at the church house .
D
the section hands laid him in the sand .
G
trains go by on the rails john henry laid .
n . C .
they slow down , they take off their hats , the men do .
when they come to the place where john henry’s layin’
restin’ his back , some of ’em say ,
“mornin’ , steel driver . you sure was a hammer swinger . ”
then they go on by pickin’ up a little speed .
G
click – A – dee clack . click – A – dee clack . click – A – dee clack . click – A – dee
clack .
G
( yonder lies the steel drivin’ man , oh , lord .
D G
yonder lies the steel drivin’ man . )
A
| | : ( yonder lies the steel drivin’ man , oh , lord .
E A
yonder lies the steel drivin’ man . ) : | | repeat and fade
for more johnny cash chords , see www . unofficial – johnnycash . com!
capo 1st fret
intro :
| | : G | G | G | G : | |
| G | G |
G
john henry’s pappy woke him up one midnight .
D
he said , “before the sheriff comes , i wanna tell you .
G C G
listen boy , ” he said , “learn to ball a jack , learn to lay a track .
learn to pick and shovel too . and take my hammer .
D G
it’ll do anything you tell it to .
n . C . G
john henry’s mammy had about a dozen babies .
D
john henry’s pappy broke jail about a dozen times .
G C G
the babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money ,
he said : “i’ll pay you a quarter at a time , startin’ tomorrow .
D G
that’s pay for a steel driver on this line . ”
G
then the section foreman said , “hey , hammer swinger ,
n . C .
i see you brought your own hammer , boy ,
but what else can all them muscle do?”
G
and he said , “i can turn a jack , i can lay a track .
i can pick and shovel too . ” ( “can you swing a hammer , boy” )
D G
“yes sir , i can do anything you hire me to . ”
G
( “now , ain’t you somethin’ , so high and mighty with your muscles .
just go ahead , boy , and pick up that hammer . pick up the hammer . ” )
he said , “get a rusty spike and swing it down three times .
i’ll pay you a nickel a day for ev’ry inch you sink into .
D G
go on and do what you say you can do . ”
G
with a steep – nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle ,
D
john henry raised it back till it touched his heels .
G C G
then the spike went through the crosstie and split it half in two .
thirty five cents a day for drivin’ steel .
( “sweat , sweat boy , sweat . you owe me two more swings . ” )
E
“i was born for drivin’ steel . ”
E
well , john henry hammered in the mountain .
B7
he’d give a grunt and he’d give a groan with every swing .
E A E
the women folks for miles around heard him and came down
to watch him make the cold steel ring . lord , what a swinger .
B7 E G
just listen to that cold steel ring .
G
but the bad boss came up laughin’ at john henry .
D
said , “you full of vinegar now , but you ’bout through .
G
we gonna get a steam drill to do you share if drivin’ .
then what’s all them muscle gonna do , huh , john henry?
D G
gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you . ”
G
john henry said , “i feed four little brothers
D
and baby sister’s walkin’ on her knees .
n . C .
did the lord say that machines oughta take the place of livin’?
and what’s the substitute for bread and beans? i ain’t seen it .
G
do engines get rewarded for their steam?”
G
john henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap;
D
had thirty minutes to rest before the bell .
G C G
the mine boss hollered , “get up , who – ever you are and get a pickax .
give me enough coal to start another hill and keep it burnin’ .
D G
mine me enough to start another hill . ”
G D
john henry said to his captain , “a man ain’t nothin’ but a man .
G C G
but if you’ll bring that steam drill around i’ll beat it fair and hon – est .
i’ll die with a hammer in my hand , but i’ll be laughin’ ,
D G
’cause you can’t replae a steel drivin’ man . ”
G
there was a big crowd of people at the mountain .
D
john henry said to the steam drill , “how is you?
n . C .
pardon me , mister steam drill . i suppose you didn’t hear me .
i said , how are you? huh?
G
well , can you turn a jack , can you lay a track?
can you pick and shovel too?
D G n . C . E
listen , this hammer swinger’s talkin’ to you . ”
E
two thousands people hollered , “go , john henry!”
B7
then somebody hollered , “the mountain’s caving in!”
E
john henry told the captain , “tell the kind folks don’t to worry .
it ain’t nothin’ but my hammer suckin’ wind . it keeps me breathin’ .
B7 E G
this steel driver’s muscle , i ain’t tin .
G
captain , tell the people move back farther .
D
i’m at the finish line and there ain’t no drill .
G
it’s so far behind but yet ain’t got the brains to quit it .
when she blows up she’ll scatter ’cross the hills , lord , lord .
D G n . C . E
when she blows up she’ll scatter ’cross the hills . ”
E
well , john henry had a little woman .
B7
i believe the lady’s name was polly ann .
n . C .
yeah , that was his good woman .
john henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home .
he lay down to rest his weary back . and early next mornin’ he said ,
“come here polly ann . 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 , polly ann , and go to that railroad .
swing that hammer like you seen me do it .
and when you’re swingin’ with the lead man , they’ll all know ,
they’ll all know you’re john henry’s woman .
but , but tell ’em that ain’t all you can do .
E A E
tell ’em i can hoist a jack , and i can lay a track .
i can pick and shovel too . ain’t no machine can .
B7 E n . C . G
that’s been proved to you . ”
G
there was a big crowd of mourners at the church house .
D
the section hands laid him in the sand .
G
trains go by on the rails john henry laid .
n . C .
they slow down , they take off their hats , the men do .
when they come to the place where john henry’s layin’
restin’ his back , some of ’em say ,
“mornin’ , steel driver . you sure was a hammer swinger . ”
then they go on by pickin’ up a little speed .
G
click – A – dee clack . click – A – dee clack . click – A – dee clack . click – A – dee
clack .
G
( yonder lies the steel drivin’ man , oh , lord .
D G
yonder lies the steel drivin’ man . )
A
| | : ( yonder lies the steel drivin’ man , oh , lord .
E A
yonder lies the steel drivin’ man . ) : | | repeat and fade
for more johnny cash chords , see www . unofficial – johnnycash . com!
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