First of all, John Henry was a black man
He was born down
Where the sun don't ever shine
He was six feet tall
Didn't know his own strength

But he did not swing a hammer
All the time, course he didn't
John Henry had some women on his mind

There was a woman
'Cross the street named poor Selma
Well, John Henry like a natural man
John Henry quit poor Selma
Just like he was quittin' work
He loved that senorita Julie Ann

She was somethin' else you understand
There was a man named Stagger Lee in Argenta
A little man with a big forty four
You know he shot his woman down
And took a shot at poor Selma

But ole Stagger won't be shooting anymore
He had to quit it
John Henry layed him dead on the floor

John Henry through Stagger Lee in the river
Then he said I've got a say so to say
He broke out in a song that was wrote by Blind Lemon
Julie Ann I'm singing my say, you know I love ya
But I do not like your low down ways

Well, John Henry went to a conjurin' woman
Said this misery ain't no way to live
Somebody's back door creepin' on my pretty Julie Ann
The conjurin' woman had a say so to give
Said John Henry, that's just the ways things is

Well, John Henry well to a hell bustin' man
Said I'm tormented deep in my soul
Well, that hell busted pray John Henry's sins went away
And they tell me how the thunder had rolled sweet Jesus
What a frightening sight to behold

From that day on John Henry was a changed man
All he did was just work all the time
Well, he worked till the muscles in his body gave out
Then he kept right on a workin' in his mind, Lord don't do it
'Cause a man ain't supposed to work all the time

Julie Ann said, 'John Henry I Love You'
Poor Selma said, 'John Henry, you're My Man'
Ruby said I'm gonna cook you up
Some greens and some lean meat
With cornbread in a four foot pan with lots o' cracklings
But John Henry was a different kind of man

Well, they allow that hard work killed John Henry
I'm gonna leave that allowing up to you
Well, was he killed by hard work
Or was he killed by bad women?

Be sure it ain't a happenin' to you
Quit workin' when your days work is through
For a man ain't supposed to work all the time
And you know that's just the ways things is