John Henry was a little child of four sitting on his loving daddy’s knee. He picked up a hammer and he tossed it to the floor saying, “this here hammer should have set me free Lord, Lord but them businessmen gonna be the death of me.”

“John” said the Captain, “you’re a wonder to behold, you’re fast and fit and stronger than a bull. I give you ten cents more, ‘cause you do the work of four. It’s boys like you that keep my pockets full Lord, Lord and my pockets are overflowing they’re so full.”

“But John there’s a man with a steam drill in town and it doesn’t need to eat or drink or rest. Before they go and invest in it, the company wants me testing it by racing it against my very best Lord, Lord, John I do believe you are my very best.”

“Well Captain,” said John, “I got a wife and a child and I surely can’t afford to be replaced. I ain’t flattered or amused at the way I’m being used, but I’ll lose my job if I don’t win this race Lord, Lord life is hard for a poor man of my race.”

“So go get me my oak-handled twelve pound sledge and a shaker who knows how to sing. Go get my two quart canteen and your God-damned machine and I’ll show you how a desperate man swings Lord, Lord, this whole world’s gonna hear my cold steel ring.”

There was fire on the mountain. There was thunder in the sky. The earth shook and a crowd began to form. The wind bent the trees, brought the people to their knees. There’s a man at the center of that storm Lord, Lord, there’s a man at the center of that storm.

His canteen was empty. That oak handle’d split. His shaker was gasping for air. But when the smoke and dust all cleared, the crowd began to cheer. John Henry beat that steam drill and fair Lord, Lord John Henry beat that steam drill and fair.

The Captain said, “I confess I’m impressed, but then I did say you was the best. It’s too bad these other drivers ain’t half as strong. None of them have got the skills to join my brand new crew of drills. They’re gonna have to pack their bags and move along Lord, Lord, it’ll just be John and them drills from now on.”

Well his back was wide as a railroad track, each arm was like a cross cut tie. But his heart was a heart just like any man’s heart. You break a man’s heart and he dies Lord, Lord, you break any man’s heart and he dies.

They buried John Henry not four feet from where he fell. They laid his hammer down at his side. “Wasn’t that steam drill killed my man, “ said his good woman Polly Ann. “It’s them greedy sons of bitches took my husband from my side. Their greed’s the only reason that he died.”

I ain’t as strong as John Henry was and the truth is ain’t never gonna be. But long as they keep on building tracks on the backs of the poor black sons and daughters...
Muddy Water’s said it, Huddie Ledbetter said it, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, Mavis Staples said it, I sure won’t forget it. I sure won’t forget it. I’m gonna swing this hammer, gonna swing this little mando-hammer. I’m gonna swing this hammer, swing this mando-hammer, swing this hardwood, steel string, baby sledgehammer ‘til those people killed John Henry come for me Lord, Lord I said those people killed John Henry gonna have to come kill me, ‘til those people killed John Henry come for me.