(jaunty bluegrass music)

("John Henry" by Woody Guthrie)
♪John Henry when he was a baby♪

♪ settin' down on his 
mammy's knee ♪

♪ picked up an hammer ♪

♪ in his little right hand,
said 'hammer be ♪

♪ the death of me me me,' ♪

♪ Hammer be the death of me!
Hammer be the death of me! ♪

♪ Lord, lord!
Hammer be the death of me! ♪

♪ Well, the captain,
he said to John Henry ♪

♪ 'I'm gonna bring
my steam drill around ♪

♪ I'm gonna bring my
steam drill out on this job, ♪

♪ whup that steel on down. ♪

♪ And I'm gonna whup
that steel on down. ♪

♪ I'm gonna whup
that steel on down. ♪

♪ Oh, lord, whup that
steel on down. ♪

[Male Speaker]
This is a new work song

with a beat of steam
engines in the rhythm.

("John Henry") ♪ Now
Henry had a little woman

♪ Her names was Polly Anne. ♪

♪ Johnny took sick, ♪

♪ and he had to go to bed. ♪

♪ Polly handled steel like a man. ♪

♪ Polly handled steel like a man. ♪

♪ Polly handled steel like a man. ♪

♪ Oh lord!
Polly handled steel like a man. ♪

♪ Polly handled steel like a man,
Oh lord! ♪

♪ Polly handled steel like a man. ♪

(harmonica solo
with dueling guitars)

[Harmonica player]
Woo!

(harmonica solo
with dueling guitars]

["John Henry"] ♪ They took
John Henry to the graveyard.

♪ We buried him down
in the sand. ♪

♪ Every locomotive
come a'rolling by by by ♪

♪ hollered 'there lies
a steel-drivin' man!' ♪

♪ Oh lord! Hollered, 
'there lies a steel drivin' man. ♪

♪ Oh lord! Hollered, 
'there lies a steel drivin' man.' ♪

♪ Oh lord! Hollered, 
'there lies a steel drivin' man.' ♪

♪ Hollered, 'there's
a steel drivin' man.' ♪

♪ Hollered, 'there's
a steel drivin' man.' ♪

(train whistling)

(fast banjo playing)