1.

LEGEND OF JOHN HENRY'S HAMMER

(Johnny Cash - June Carter)

John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight

He said fore the sheriff comes I want to tell you

Listen boy he said learn to ball a jack learn to lay a track

Learn to pick and shovel too and take my hammer it'll do anything you tell it to

John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies

John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times

The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money

He said I'll pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrow

That's pay for a steel driver on this line

Then the section foreman said hey hammer swinger

I see you brought your own hammer boy but what else can all them muscles do

And he said I can turn a jack I can lay a track

I can pick and shovel too (can you swing a hammer boy)

Yes well I'll do anything you hire me to

(Now ain't you something so high and mighty with your muscles

Just go ahead boy and pick up that hammer pick up that hammer)

He said get a rusty spike and swing it down three times

I'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it to

Go on and do what you say you can do

With a steep nased hammer on a four foot switch handle

John Henry raised his back till it touched his heels

And the spike went thru the crosstie and split it half in two

Thirty-five cents a day for driving steel

(Swing swing it boy swing you owe me two more swings)

I was born for drivin' steel

Well John Henry hammered in the mountain

He'd give a grunt and give agroun with every swing

The women folks from miles around heard him and come down

To watch him make cold steel ring

Lord what a swinger just listen to the cold steel ring

But the bad boss come up laughing at John Henry

Said you full of vinegar now byt you bout through

We're gonna get a steam drill to do your share of drivin'

And what's all them muscles gonna do ha John Henry

Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you

John Henry said I feed more little brothers

And baby sister's walking on her knees

Did the Lord say that machines oughta take the place of living

And what's a substitute for bread and beans I ain't seen it

Do engines get rewared for their steam

John Henry hid in a coalmine for his dinner nap

Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell

The mine boss hollered get up whoever you are and get up a pick-ake

Give me enough coal to start another hell

And keep it burning mine me enough to start another hell

John Henry said to his Captain a man ain't nothin' but a man

But if you bring that steam drill round and I'll beat it fair and honest

I'll die with my hammer in my hand but I'll be laughing

Cause you can't replace a steel drivin' man

There was a big crowd of people at the mountain

John Henry said to the steam drill how is you

Pardon me Mr Steam Drill I suppose you didn't hear me I said how I are you ha

Well can you turn a jack can you lay a track can you pick and shovel too

Listen this hammer swinger's talkin' to you

[ guitar ]

Two thousand people hollered (go John Henry)

Then somebody hollered (the mountain's cawing in)

John Henry told the Captain tell the kind folks don't worry

It ain't nothing but my hammer sucking wind it keeps me breathing

This steel driver's muscle I ain't tin

Captain tell the people move back further

I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill

It's so far behind and yet it ain't got the brains to quiet it

When she blows up she'll scatter cross the hills Lord Lord

When she blows up she'll scatter cross the hills

Well John Henry had a little woman

I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann

Yes that was his good woman

John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home

He lay down to rest his weary back and early next morning he said

Come here Polly Ann come here sugar you know I believe this is the first time

I ever watched the sun come up that I couldn't come up

Take my hammer Polly Ann and go to that railroad

Swing that hammer like you seen me do it

And when you're swinging with the lead man they'll know

They'll know you're John Henry's woman

But tell them that ain't all you can do tell them

I can loist a jack I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too

Ain't no machine can that's been proved to you

There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house

The section hands laid him in the sand

Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid

They slow down and take off the hats the men do

When you've come to the place where John Henry's layin' restin' his back

Some of 'em say morning streel driver you sure was a hammer swinger

Then they go by pickin' up a little speed

Clickety-clack clickety-clak clickety-clack clickety-clak

(Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord yonder lies a steel drivin' man

Yonder lies a steel drivin' man oh Lord yonder lies a steel drivin' man)

**********

2.

TELL HIM I'M GONE

(Johnny Cash)

You take this hammer take it to the capt

Hey take this hammer take it to the capt

Take this hammer take it to the capt

You can tell him I'm gone tell him I'm gone

Cause I ain't gonna take no more kicks and whippings

No I ain't gonna take no kicks and whipping

I ain't gonna take no more no more this kicks and whippings

You can tell him I'm gone gone gone you can tell him I'm gone

Captain call me a hard headed devil

Well the captain call me a hard headed devil

Well the captain call me you hard headed devil

And that ain't my name that ain't my name

Well the Captain got a big gun bout a 99 calibre

Uuh Captain got a big gun bout a 99 calibre

Well the captain got a big gun bout a 99 calibre

He gonna shoot me down if he ever catches me gonna shoot me down

But you tell him that I went where the great goose goes

Tell him that I'm gone where the great goose goes

Tell him I'm gone tell him I'm gone just tell him I'm gone

Take this hammer take it to the capt

Hey take this hammer take it to the capt

**********

3.

ANOTHER MAN DONE GONE

(John A. Lomax - Vera Hall)

Another man done gone (another man done gone)

Another man done gone another man done gone another man done gone

Another man done gone (another man done gone

Another man done gone another man done gone)

He had a long chain on (he had a long chain on

He had a long chain on he had a long chain on)

They hung him in a tree they hung him in a tree

They let his children see they let his children see

(When he was hangin' dead) when he was hangin' dead

The captain turn his head the captain turn his head

He's from the county farm (he's from the county farm

He's from the county farm he's from the county farm)

I didn't know his name (I didn't know his name

I didn't know his name I didn't know his name)

Another man done gone another man done gone another man done gone

Another man done gone (another man done gone

Another man done gone another man done gone)

Another man done gone another man done gone another man done gone

**********

4.

BUSTED

(Harlan Howard)

My bills are all due and the babies need shoes but I'm busted

Cotton is down to a quarter a pound but I'm busted

I got a cow that went dry and a hen that won't lay

A big stack of bills that gets bigger each day

The county will haul my belongings away I'm busted

[ guitar ]

I went to my brother to ask for a loan I was busted

I hate to beg like a dog for a bone but I'm busted

My brother said there ain't a thing I can do

My wife and my kids're all down with the flu

And I was just thinking of calling on you I'm busted

[ guitar ]

Lord I'm no thief but a man can go wrong when he's busted

The food that we canned last summer is gone and I'm busted

The fields're all bare and the cotton won't grow

Me and my family gotta pack up and go

But I'll make a living the Lord only knows but I'm busted

**********

5.

CASEY JONES

(Lawrence T. Seibert - Ernie Newton)

Come all you rounders if you wanna hear the story about a brave engineer

Casey Jones was the roller's name on a 68 wheeler course he won his fame

Caller called Casey bout half past four he kissed his wife at the station door

He climbed in the cabin with his orders in his hand

Said this is the trip to the Promised Land

Casey Jones climbed in the cabin Casey Jones orders in his hand

Casey Jones leanin' out the window taking a trip to the Promised Land

Through South Memphis Yards on a fly rain been a fallin' and the water was high

Everybody knew by the engine's moan that the man at the throttle was Casey Jones

Well Jones said fireman now don't you fret Sam Webb said we ain't a givin' up yet

We're eight hours late with the southbound mail

We'll be on time or we're leavin' the rails

Casey Jones climbed in the cabin...

Dead on the rail was a passenger train blood was a boilin' in Casey's brain

Casey said hey now look out ahead jump Sam jump or we'll all be dead

With a hand on a whistle and a hand on a brake north Mississippi was wide awake

I see railroad official said he's a good engineer to be a laying dead

Casey Jones climbed in the cabin...

Headaches and heartaches and all kinds of pain all the part of a railroad train

Sweat and toil the good and the grand part of the life of a railroad man

Casey Jones climbed in the cabin...

**********

6.

NINE POUND HAMMER

(Merle Travis)

Well this nine pound hammer is a little too heavy

For my size honey for my size

I'm goin' on the mountain gonna see my baby

And I ain't comin' back Lord I ain't comin' back

Oh roll on buddy don't you roll so slow how can I go when my wheels won't roll

Roll on buddy pull a load o'coal how can I go when my wheels won't roll

[ banjo ]

Well it's a long way to Harlem it's a long way to Hazzard

Just to get a little brew just to get a little brew

Now when I'm long gone you can make my tombstone

Out of number nine coal out of number nine coal

Roll on buddy don't you roll so slow...

**********

7.

CHAIN GANG

(Harlan Howard)

I was just a kid roamin' around travelin' through a little ol' town

A man walked up and said come with me you're broke and son that's vagrancy

I carefree lad that love to roam but Lord I wish I'd stayed at home

The way it looks I'll prob'ly hang cause there ain't no hope on a chain gang

I dig that ditch I chop that corn I curse the day that I was born

I believe it's better for a man to hang than to work like a dog on a chain gang

[ guitar ]

The guard stands there with a great big gun I bet he'd love to see me run

And I guess I prob'ly will some day I'd rather be dead than to live this way

He's well fed and he's six foot tall and he's a meanest of them all

He cracks that whip and he swings that cane the sun must've touched his brain

I dig that ditch I chop that corn...

[ dobro ]

I gat a gal back home that's sweet and kind and she's been waitin' a long long time

I just told her to forget my name I won't ever live down to shame

Lord deliver me from this hole before I lose my mind and soul

The place gets weak and the back gets broke ain't no cause to laugh and joke

I dig that ditch I chop that corn...

Work like a dog on a chain gang work like a dog on a chain gang

**********

8.

WAITING FOR A TRAIN

(Jimmie Rodgers)

All around the water tank waitin' for a train

A thousand miles away from home sleeping in the rain

I walked up to a brakeman just to give him a line of talk

He said if you've got money I'll see that you don't walk

Well I haven't got a nickel not a penny can I show

He said get off you railroad bum and he slammed the boxcar door

[ piano ]

Well he put me off in Texas a place I dearly love

The wide open spaces all around me the moon and stars above

Nobody seems to want me nor to lend me a helping hand

I'm on my way from Frisco headin' back to Dixie Land

My pocketbook is empty my heart is willed with pain

I'm a thousand miles away from home just waitin' for a train

**********

9.

ROUGHNECK

(Sheb Wooley)

Born to be a roughneck I'll never amount to nothin'

Pullin' case and layin' pipe is hard labor

Well I was born in a boomer shack bout a half mile from town

Papa was a driller on a wildcat crew and my mama never was around

I learn to cuss when I was two and fight when I was three

And by the time I was five there was no kid alive could ever get the best of me

Born to be a roughneck...

[ banjo ]

Well I started workin' like a regular man when I was just about knee high

Skinning the knuckles with my two bare hands but they never heard me cry

I remember walkin' down the road and hearin' somebody say

He was born to live a rougneck's life and he's never gonna change his ways

Born to be a roughneck...

Born to be a roughneck...

**********