Tono: G
Introducción:
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Johnny Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight,
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he said, "Before the sheriff comes, I wanna tell you,
"Said "Listen boy,
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learn to hoist a jack and learn to lay a track
learn to pick and shovel, too, and take that hammer,
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it'll do anything you tell it to."
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John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies,
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John Henry's pappy broke jail a dozen times,
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the babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money,
he said, "I'll pay you a quarter at a time, startin' tomorrow,
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that's the pay for a steel driver on this line."
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Then the section foreman said, "Hey! Hammer-swinger !
I see you brought your own hammer, boy, but,
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"I can hoist a jack, and I can lay a track, I can pick and shovel, too."
He said, "Can you swing a hammer?"
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And he said, “ Do anything you hire me to."
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"Now ain't you somethin' ! You so high and mighty
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and show me what you can do!"
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He said, “Get a rusted spike and swing that hammer down three times,
I'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it to.
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With a steep-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle,
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John Henry raised it back til' it touched his heels, then
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the spike went through the cross-tie and it split it half in two.
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel.
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"Sweat ! Sweat, boy ! Sweat ! Only two more swings !"
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Said, "I was born drivin' steel."
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Well, now, John Henry hammered in the mountain,
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he'd give a grunt, and he’d give a groan with every swing,
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the women-folks from miles around heard him and come down
they’d watch make the cold-steel ring "Lord ! What a swinger !
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Watch him make the cold-steel ring."
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Then the bad boys came up laughin' at John Henry,
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they said," You’re full of vinegar now, but you bout' through!
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We gonna get a steamdrill to do your share of drivin' ,
then what's all them muscles gonna do? Huh? John Henry?
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Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you."
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John Henry said, "I feed four little brothers,
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and my baby sister’s walkin' on her knees.
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Now, did the Lord say that machines ought to take the place of livin'?
And what's a substitute for bread and beans ? I ain't seen it !
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Do engines get rewarded for their steam?
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Then John Henry said to his captain,
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said, "A man ain't nothin' but a man,
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but you can bring that steamdrill 'round I'll beat it fair and honest.
I'll die with that hammer in my hand, but I'll be laughin',
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'cause you can't replace a steel-drivin' man.
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There was a big crowd of people at the mountain,