Traditional - John Henry guitar chord
John Henry
(arr. by Bruce Springsteen from the album "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions")
4/26/06
CAPO III
INTRO: D A7 D G D A7 D D/C# Bm D A7 D
D
Well John Henry was a little baby
A7
Sittin' on his daddy's knee
D G
He'd pick up a hammer and a little piece of steel
D A7 D D/C# Bm
And cry hammer's gonna be the death of me, lord lord
D A7 D
Hammer gonna be the death of me
D
Now the captain he said to John Henry
A7
I'm gonna bring that steam drill around
D G
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks
D A7 D D/C# Bm
I'm gonna knock that steel on down, god god
D A7 D
I'm gonna knock that steel on down
John Henry told his captain
Lord a man ain't nothin' but a man
But 'fore I let that steam drill beat me down
I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, lord lord
Die with a hammer in my hand
INTRO
John Henry drivin' on the right side
That steam drill drivin' on the left
Says 'fore I let your steam drill beat me down
I'm gonna hammer myself to death, lord lord
I'll hammer my poor self to death
Well captain said to John Henry
What is that storm I hear
John Henry said that ain't storm captain
That's just my hammer in the air, lord lord
That's just may hammer in the air
John Henry said to his shaker
Shaker why don't you sing
'Cause I'm swingin' thirty pounds from my hips on down
Yeah listen to my cold steel ring, lord lord
Listen to my cold steel ring
INTRO (2x)
That John Henry he hammered in the mountains
His hammer was strikin' fire
But he worked so hard he broke his heart
John Henry laid down his hammer and died, lord lord
John Henry laid down his hammer and died
Well now John Henry he had him a woman
By the name of Polly Anne
She walked out to those tracks, picked up John Henry's hammer
And Polly drove steel like a man, lord lord
Polly drove that steel like a man, oh
Oh now every, every Monday mornin'
When the bluebird, he begin to sing
You can hear John Henry from a mile or more
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, lord lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
D A7 D D/C# Bm
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, lord lord
D A7 D
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
CHORDS without capo:
D = F
D/C# = F/E
Bm = Dm
G = Bb
A7 = C7
