More About John Henry

歌詞

First of all, John Henry was a black man He was born down Where the sun don't ever shine He was six feet tall Didn't know his own strength But he did not swing a hammer All the time, course he didn't John Henry had some women on his mind There was a woman 'Cross the street named poor Selma Well, John Henry like a natural man John Henry quit poor Selma Just like he was quittin' work He loved that senorita Julie Ann She was somethin' else you understand There was a man named Stagger Lee in Argenta A little man with a big forty four You know he shot his woman down And took a shot at poor Selma But ole Stagger won't be shooting anymore He had to quit it John Henry layed him dead on the floor John Henry through Stagger Lee in the river Then he said I've got a say so to say He broke out in a song that was wrote by Blind Lemon Julie Ann I'm singing my say, you know I love ya But I do not like your low down ways Well, John Henry went to a conjurin' woman Said this misery ain't no way to live Somebody's back door creepin' on my pretty Julie Ann The conjurin' woman had a say so to give Said John Henry, that's just the ways things is Well, John Henry well to a hell bustin' man Said I'm tormented deep in my soul Well, that hell busted pray John Henry's sins went away And they tell me how the thunder had rolled sweet Jesus What a frightening sight to behold From that day on John Henry was a changed man All he did was just work all the time Well, he worked till the muscles in his body gave out Then he kept right on a workin' in his mind, Lord don't do it 'Cause a man ain't supposed to work all the time Julie Ann said, "John Henry I Love You" Poor Selma said, "John Henry, you're My Man" Ruby said I'm gonna cook you up Some greens and some lean meat With cornbread in a four foot pan with lots o' cracklings But John Henry was a different kind of man Well, they allow that hard work killed John Henry I'm gonna leave that allowing up to you Well, was he killed by hard work Or was he killed by bad women? Be sure it ain't a happenin' to you Quit workin' when your days work is through For a man ain't supposed to work all the time And you know that's just the ways things is