Listen to Sweet Woman song with lyrics from Sonny Terry

Sweet Woman

Sonny Terry14 Sep 2018

Sweet Woman Lyrics

 

When John Henry was a little baby

 

Sitting on his daddy's knee

 

Pointed he figured out a little piece of steel

Steel's gonna be the death of me Lord Lord

Steel's gonna be the death of me

 

Well now steel's gonna be the death of me Lord Lord

Steel's gonna be the death of me

 

John Henry told his captain one day

A man ain't nothin' but a man

Before I will let you steam drill beat me down

Would die with this hammer in my hand Lord Lord'

Die with this hammer in my hand

I would die with this hammer in my hand Lord Lord

 

Die with this hammer in my hand

John Henry had a little woman

 

Her name was Polly Ann

 

John Henry got sick and had to go to bed

You know Polly she drove steel like a man Lord Lord

Polly she drove steel like a man

 

How she drive John Henry drivin' on the right hand side

Steam drill drivin' on the left

Before I will let your steam drill beat me down

I will drive my poor self to death Lord Lord

Drive my poor self to death

 

John Henry drove steel on the Southern

He drove steel on the C&O

He drove steel for that Big Ben Tunnel

Steel drivin' kill John you know steel drivin' kill John you know

Well now steel drivin' kill John you know Lord Lord

Steel drivin' kill John you know

Some says John Henry was born in Texas

Some people thinks he was born in Maine

John Henry was born down in Tennessee

He was a leader of a steel-driving-gang Lord Lord

Leader of a steel-driving-gang

Was a leader of a steel-driving-gang Lord Lord

 

Leader of a steel-driving-gang

Well the captain loved to see John Henry

One of all loved to hear him sing

But most of all that the paymaster loved

 

He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring

 

He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring

 

He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring Lord Lord

 

Loved to get John Henry's hammer ring

They carried John Henry on the mountain

 

Upon a mountain so high

 

Last words I heard that poor boy say

Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die

Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die

 

Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die

Well they carried John Henry's body to the White-house

And they laid it in the sand

Every time a locomotive follows go rollin' by

They say yonder lays a steel-drivin' man

 

Well now yonder lays a steel-drivin' man

They say yonder lays a steel-drivin' man

 

Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man