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John Henry is an American folk hero. An African American freedman, ... You sang the song slowly, you worked slowly, you guarded your life, or you died. [8]: 32 ...
Sep 24, 2024 · John Henry, hero of a widely sung African American folk ballad. It describes his contest with a steam drill, in which John Henry crushed more rock than did the machine but died “with his hammer in his hand.”. Writers and artists see in John Henry a symbol of the worker’s foredoomed struggle against the machine and of the Black man’s ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Songfacts®: This folk song tells the story of John Henry, an enormous man who worked on the Big Bend Tunnel near Talcott, West Virginia. The tunnel was carved through the Big Bend Mountain so the railroad could go through it instead of around it. Work began on the mile-and-a-quarter tunnel in 1870, and the project was completed three years ...
Provided to YouTube by RCA/LegacyJohn Henry (Live) · Harry BelafonteBelafonte: At Carnegie Hall℗ Originally released 1959. All rights reserved by RCA Records...
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John Henry hammered in the mountain His hammer was striking fire. But he worked so hard, he broke his poor Heart. He laid down his hammer and he died. Lord, Lord. He laid down his hammer and he died. John Henry had a little woman. Her name was Polly Ann. John Henry took sick and went to his bed. Polly Ann drove steel like a man. Lord, Lord.
Lord Lord Polly Ann drove steel like a man John Henry had a little baby You could hold him in the palm of your Hand The last words I heard that poor boy say 'My daddy was steel-driving man. Lord ...
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Apr 24, 2024 · The Lyrics of “John Henry”. The lyrics of “John Henry” are simple but powerful. The song tells the story of a man who works tirelessly to drive railroad spikes into the ground, even in the face of great adversity. The chorus of the song captures the essence of John Henry’s spirit: “John Henry was a steel-driving man / But he went ...
