The Ballad of John Henry
Now John Henry when he was a baby
Settin’ on his mammy’s knee
Took a snow shovel in his little right hand
Said “Shovel be the death of me, me, me,
Shovel be the death of me!”
“Well”, the Captain said to John Henry
“I’m gonna bring my snow blower ’round,
Gonna take it to the mountain o’ snow so high,
Gonna whup that snow on down, down, down,
Whup that snow on down!”
John Henry told his Captain,
“Lord a man ain’t nothin’ but a man,
But before I let that snow blower beat me
I’m gonna die with a shovel in my hand, Lord, Lord,
I’ll die with a shovel in my hand!”
John Henry he shoveled in the driveway,
From the porch right down to the street,
But he lost his step on a slick patch of ice,
Banged his head on the hard concrete,
Knocked cold on the hard concrete.
John Henry had a little woman,
Her name was Polly Anne.
And when he woke he saw his Polly
With the Captain’s blower in her hand, hand, hand.
Clearin’ snow with the blower in her hand.