NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS: 270. John Henry
Painting- Richard L. Matteson Jr. C2010 (Background is Oak Mountain, Alabama)
270. John Henry
[When researching the ballad to do my painting (above) I used the information supplied to me by my friend, John Garst, who is writting a book on John Henry. According to Garst, "evidence favors a site near Oak and Coosa Mountains, Alabama, and 1887 as the place and time of John Henry's race with a steam drill." Above in my painting (in suit on the left) there is a portait of Captain Frederick Yeamans Dabney, who was Chief Engineer for the Columbus & Western Railway Company during the construction of their line between Goodwater, Alabama, and Birmingham in 1887-88.
Of all the versions presented in the Brown collection (below) only Version A is actually a version of the John Henry ballad. Version C is only one verse and could be a version but it's too short to tell. The rest are variants of the Nine Pound Hammer songs; Take This Hammer; Swannanoa Tunnel; Asheville Junction; Captain I'm Driving.]
270. John Henry
Few if any folk songs of American origin have been so extensively and intensively studied as 'John Henry.' See Cox's original discussion of the relation between it and 'John Hardy' (JAFL XXXII 505-20) and his headnote to the latter ballad (FSS 175-7). White's admirable note (ANFS 189-90); Guy B. Johnson's John Henry: Tracking Down a Negro Legend (University of North Carolina Press, 1929); Henry's headnote (FSSH 441-2) ; and Chappell's John Henry: A Folklore Study (Jena, 1933). Mrs. Steely 184-5 (1935) gives two versions. For the relation between 'John Henry' and 'John Hardy' — the latter a ballad about a Negro gambler and murderer, given here, pp. 563-66, one cannot do better than quote from Professor White's summary:
The following facts seem to be fairly clear: (1) John Hardy and John Henry were both steel-driving men, probably Negroes, in West Virginia. (2) John Hardy was a gambler, roue, and murderer, and was executed for murder. (3) John Henry had no vicious traits, and died as a result of trying to beat a steam drill. (4) John Henry songs are more commonly sung and have spread farther from West Virginia.
From these facts I draw the tentative conclusions that the John Henry and John Hardy songs both arose in West Virginia; that they have somewhat coalesced in that state, but are distinctly different songs; and that John Henry is probably the older of the two.
Johnson's book was published a year after White's; Chappell's work is largely an attack upon Johnson and does not appreciably contribute to our knowledge of the song and its origin. They are agreed that the legend of the "steel-driver" who died in his triumphant duel with the steam drill arose* out of the driving of the tunnel at Big Bend, West Virginia, in 1870-72. There are many hammer songs, some of which do not mention John Henry; some of them may be older than the Big Bend tunnel; and Chappell's contention that in the songs the hammer often carries the implication of sexual intercourse is in itself not improbable. Compare the ballad of 'The Nightingale.' But it is primarily a work song, and as such has been found pretty much wherever Negroes work in gangs; there are phonograph records of it, also, and from these white people have learned to sing it. All of our texts but one are fragmentary, and some of them are merely hammer songs, without mention of John Henry.
A. 'John Henry.' From the manuscripts of G. S. Robinson of Asheville, copy taken August 4, 1939.
1 John Henry was a steel-driving man,
You could hear his hammer half a mile.
But, alas, one day he couldn't go down.
He laid down his hammer and he cried,
He laid down his hammer and he cried.
2 When John Henry was a little babe
A-sitting on his mamma's knee,
He looked up in his papa's face:
'A hammer'll be the death of me,
A hammer'll be the death of me.'
3 John Henry had a little wo-man,
Her name was Polly Ann.
When John Henry lay there on his bed:
Polly, do the best you can.'
[Polly, do the best you can.']
4 John Henry had a little wo-man
And he kept her all dressed in blue.
She would talk out through the old tunnel
And said, 'John Henry, I've heen true to you,'
And said, 'John Henry, I've been true to you.'
5. John Henry had one only son;
He could sit in the palm of your hand.
He awarded this lot to his lonesome cries:
'Son, don't be a steel-driving man,
'Son, don't be a steel-driving man.'
6. John Henry had a little hammer,
The handle was made of bone;
Every time he hit the steel on the head
You could hear the hammer moan,
You could hear the hammer moan.
7. John Henry told his shaker,
Said, 'Boy, you'd better pray.
For if I should miss this piece of steel
Tomorrow would be your burying day,
Tomorrow would be your burying day.'
8. They took John Henry to the White House
And laid him on the stand.
A man from the east and a lady from the west
Come to see the old steel-driving man,
Come to see the old steel-driving man.
B. 'Been a Miner.' Communicated as a 'Negro Halloa' by Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), some time in the years 1921-24.
1 I been a miner all o' my life,
Never lost nothing but a barlowe knife.
2 Big John Henry, Big John Henry,
Big John Henry, poor boy blind.
C. 'Johnie Henry.' A fragment, reported by Louise Rand Bascom in JAFL XXII 249 as all she had then been able to secure of this song. She adds that it "is obviously not a ballad of the mountains, for no highlander was ever slifficiently hard working to die with anything in his hand except possibly a plug of borrowed 'terbac,' "but that she hopes to get the rest of it' 'when Tobe sees Tom, an' gits him to larn him what he ain't forgot of hit from Muck's [banjo-] pickin'.' " The fragment:
Johnie Henry was a hard-workin' man.
He died with his hammer in his hand.
This is repeated in another manuscript in the collection, where it is attributed to Mrs. Birdie May Moody, Shull's Mills, Watauga county, who was possibly Miss Bascom's informant.
D. 'Take This Hammer.' Obtained from Hodgin, southeastern North Carolina ; not more definitely located, and not dated.
Take this hammer,
Carry it to the captain ;
Tell him I'm gone,
Tell him I'm gone.
It killed John Henry,
Can't kill me.
Can't kill me.
E. 'John Henry.' Contributed by J. D. Johnson, Jr., student at Trinity College, as heard in Eastern North Carolina, and already printed in ANFS 262.
Ain' no hammer in this mountain
Rings like mine, babe, rings like mine.
Take this hammer, give it to the walker;
Tell him I'm gone, babe, tell him I'm gone.
If he ax you where I'm gone to.
Just tell him I'm gone, babe, tell him I'm gone.
F. 'John Henry.' Contributed by J. G. Neal of Marion, McDowell county, in 1919. Same as E except that it lacks the last two lines.
G. 'Captain, I'm Drivin'.' Reported by Professor White as heard in 1919 "sung by a gang of street laborers digging a ditch," and already printed in ANFS 255.
Captain, I'm drivin' (huh)
But de steel won't stand it (huh)
Captain, I'm drivin' (huh)
But de steel won't stand it (huh)
Let dem picks go down.
My ol' captain (huh)
Got a fo'ty-fo'-fo'ty (huh)
My ol' captain (huh)
Got a fo'ty-fo'-fo'ty (huh)
Let dem picks go down.
H. 'Asheville Junction.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton from Lenoir, Caldwell county, in 1922, with the music, and the notation: "Sung with banjo or guitar. Long pauses at each caesura for imitation of breath explosion and sound of hammer."
This is a local adaptation of the John Henry-John Hardy complex. Swannanoa is a few miles east of Asheville in the North Carolina mountain country. The song has been reported also from Georgia (FSSH 448-9).
1 Asheville Junction,
Swannanoah Tunnel,
All caved in, babe,
All caved in.
2 I'm goin' back to
Swannanoah Tunnel;
That's my home, babe.
That's my home.
3 Last December,
I remember.
Wind blowed cold, babe.
Wind blowed cold.
4 When you hear my
Watch-dog howlin'
Somebody's round, babe.
Somebody's round.
5 When you hear my
Hoot-owl squallin'
Somebody's dyin'.
Somebody's dyin'.
6 Riley Gardner
Killed my partner.
Couldn't kill me, babe.
Couldn't ketch me.
7 Bad Jack Ambler
Killed a gambler.
Couldn't kill me, babe.
Couldn't ketch me.
8 Hammer fallin'
From my shoulder
All day long, babe,
All day long.
I. 'Swannanoa Tunnel.' Contributed by B. L. Lunsford, in 1921 apparently, as heard at Turkey Creek. The text is the same as H except for "kill" instead of "ketch" in the last line of stanzas 6 and 7 and the first two lines of stanza 7, which run:
Ryley Rambler
Killed Jack Ambler.
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270. John Henry (Music)
'John Henry. Sung by G. S. Robinson, Otis S. Kuykendall playing guitar. Recorded at West Asheville, Buncombe county, in 1939. Cf. NWS 226, version C.
For melodic relationship cf. **MSHF 4 and PSB 8, measures 1-6; *FSUSA 258, No. 74 ; SharpK 11 35, No. 87, first 6 measures.
Scale: Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: aa1a1bb1 (2,2, 2,2,2).
'John Henry.- Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Recorded at Turkey Creek, Buncombe county, about 1921. The first three measures show some melodic relationship with those of 270 A. 444
For melodic relationship cf. **ASb 362-3, measures 3-6; *AFSCh 154- AS 178-9. Scale: Hexachordal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abak- (2,2,2,3).
'Johnie Henry.' Sung by Mrs. Birdie May Moody. Recorded as ms score at Shull's Mills, Watauga county; no date given.
For melodic relationship cf. *SharpK 11 35, No. 87.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aa^a-b (2,2,2,2). Circular Tune (V).
'John Henry.' Sung by J. D. Johnson, Jr. Recorded at Durham, in 1919.
Scale: Tetratonic (4). Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: aa1a1 (2,2,2),
'Captain, I'm Drivin'.' Sung by Dr. White. Recorded at Durham, in 1922. As the record breaks off with a great noise, it is unfortunate that this contribution of the General Editor must remain a fragment. The analysis, below, must also be fragmentary. 447
Scale: Mode HI, plagal. Tonal Center: a. Structure: ab (?) (2,2 ?).
H. 'Asheville Junction.' Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Recorded as ms score at Lenoir, Caldwell county, in 1922. There is another recording of the singing of W. (Shorty) Love, who worked for many years at Duke University, East Campus. It does not differ in any significant detail. Mr. Lunsford has told the present editor that he gave this song to Mrs. Sutton, but under the name of 'Swannanoa Tunnel.' He said the text is exactly as he gave it to her. He added, that when Cecil Sharp recorded this song and named it 'Swannanoa Town,' Sharp did not understand the speech too well and mistook "tunnel," as it was sung, for "town-0." 448
For melodic relationship cf. *TAFL 913; FSUSA 258, No. 74; FSF 182, No. 99; FSSH 443, No. 179. All of them only the very beginning. Scale: Irrational, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: ab (4,4)-
'Swannanoa Tunnel.' Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Creek, Buncombe county, in 1921. Recorded at Turkey
Scale: Mode III. Tonal center: b-flat. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).
'John Henry.' Sung by Alex Price. Recorded at Alliance, Pamlico county, in 1927.
Scale: Irrational. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aa^bb' (2,2,2,2).