John Henry

Author's Comment: When sung, the last line of each quatrain should be repeated after "Oh Lord"

When John Henry was a little boy
Lying o'er his Poppa's knee
he gave a long and a loud and a lonesome howl,
said "The paddle be the death of me
Oh Lord, yes the paddle be the death of me."

Well, John Henry, he loved a woman
her name was Polly Ann.
John Henry laid her down on the bed;
Polly took her strapping like a man
Oh Lord, ...

The Dungeon Master said to John Henry
"Gonna bring me a steam-strap round.
When I put those brats on that spanking machine
yes, It'll surely make the strap a-whistle down,
Oh Lord, ...."

John Henry said to the Master
You could see the lightning in his eye
"I can whop more ladies than your spanking machine
Sure I'll beat more bottoms or I'll die,
Oh Lord, ...."

John Henry, he was set up on the east side
The steam-strap, set up on the west
And the people swarmed to the north and south
There just to see whose spanking was the best,
Oh Lord, ...

John Henry, crocked his finger at the first brat
Told her to come on by
But she felt so small and John Henry so tall
she raised up her skirt and then she cried
Oh Lord, ...

The lights were shining hot and burning
Not a breath of coolness in the hall
The sweat trickled down to a puddle on the floor
but John Henry just made his paddle fall
Oh Lord, ....

Oh the Master said to John Henry
I think the Dungeon's falling in.
John Henry said to the Master: "No
That's my paddle stirrin up a wind
Oh Lord, ...."

The inventor said to John Henry
"Spanker, damn your soul!
you'll never beat my steam-strap here
'Till the day the subbies all sweat gold
Oh Lord, ...."

John Henry said to the brat there
"Girlie, raise your voice and sing
When I bring this paddle from my shoulders down
Just listen to the whack and feel the sting
Oh Lord, ...."

John Henry said to the brat there
Missy, you better pray
For if I paddle extra hard
You'll not be sitting easy many a day
Oh Lord, ...

John Henry said to the Master
"Look over and see what I see:
For the Strap has broke and the valve has choked
And It can't smack ladies like me
Oh Lord, ...."

The man who invented the steam-strap
he thought he'd done something mighty fine.
But John Henry he spanked fifteen brats
and the steam-strap only spanked nine,
Oh Lord, ....

John Henry was paddling a bottom
his paddle was raising welts of fire
He spanked so hard that his heart gave way
and he laid down his paddle and he died,
Oh Lord, ....

They took John Henry to the graveyard
Buried him in the sand
And the Tops on the right and the Bottoms on the left
said, "Now there lies a hard-spanking man
Oh Lord, ...."