John Henry
Traditional American ballad · collected by 1909 · public domain
Nearly all 1 with the 4 and 5⁷ as hammer-falls — the space is the point: stop-time leaves room for the slide to answer every line.
KeyCDbDEbEFF#GAbABbB4/4 · stop-time slide
Verse 1
When EJohn Henry was a E7little baby, Asittin' on his papa's Eknee,
he Epicked up a hammer and a Alittle piece of steel, cried B7'Hammer's gonna be the death of Eme, Lord, ALord — B7hammer's gonna be the death of Eme.'
Verse 2
The Ecaptain said to E7John Henry, A'Gonna bring that steam drill E'round,
gonna Ebring that steam drill Aout on the job, gonna B7whop that steel on Edown, Lord, ALord — B7whop that steel on Edown.'
Verse 3
EJohn Henry told his E7captain, A'A man ain't nothin' but a Eman,
and beEfore I let that steam drill Abeat me down, I'll B7die with a hammer in my Ehand, Lord, ALord — I'll B7die with a hammer in my Ehand.'
Play this on the neck in Key Change Lab →