Death of John Henery- Overton Co.
[The debate about who John Henry was and the location of John Henry's death goes on. My friend, John Garst, is still working on a book that places his death in Alabama. Below is an except of my painting showing the death of John Henry.
R. Matteson 2014]
Death of John Henery
John Henery was a steel driving man,
He hammered all over this land,
He said, "Before I'll be beaten by the steel driving drill,
I would die with a hammer in my hand,
I would die with a hammer in my hand."
John Henery had a little woman,
Her name was Mary Ann.
When John Henery took sick and could not work,
She would go and drive like a man,
She would go and drive like a man.
John Henery had a father, he said,
"Let me drive steel a while."
But the first lick he hit,
He let the hammer slip,
And he killed John Henery dead,
And he killed John Henery dead.
They took John henery to the white house,
And they laid him in the sand.
When the people came around
You could hear them say,
'He sure was a steel driving man,
He sure was a steel driving man."
The women in Chicago heard of John Henery's death,
Three of them were all dressed in red.
When someone asked them where they were a-going,
"We're going to where John Henery fell dead,
We're going to where John Henery fell dead."
John Henery had a little woman,
The dress she wore was blue,
She went down the track ,
But she never would come back,
Saying, "Johnie I'll be true to you,"
Saying, "Johnie I'll be true to you."
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Painting excerpt of John Henry's death- Richard Matteson
