John Henry chords by Bruce Springsteen

I think Bruce plays this in a different key (F?), but I like the way this sounds.
Also, it sounds just as good (maybe better) if you omit the 7th chords and just use A or
G wherever there's an A7 or G7.


D
Well John Henry was a little baby
               C  G     A
Sittin' on his daddy's knee
          D                  G               G7
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
            D              A           D         G7
And cried, "Hammer's gonna be death of me, Lord, Lord
D              A7              D
Hammer's gonna be the death of me"

D
Now the captain he said to John Henry
                       C     G      A
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill around
         D                           G         G7
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks
           D          A        D          G7
I'm gonna knock that steel on down, God, God
           D          A7       D
I'm gonna knock that steel on down"

D
John Henry told his captain
                  C       G     A
"Lord a man ain't nothin' but a man
     D                G                   G7
But 'fore I let that steam drill beat me down
           D          A            D           G7
I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord
      D          A7           D
I'll die with a hammer in my hand"

D
John Henry driving on the right side
                 C       G      A
That steam drill driving on the left
        D                      G             G7
Says, "'fore I let your steam drill beat me down
           D        A       D            G7
I'm gonna hammer myself to death, Lord, Lord,
      D         A7           D
I'll hammer my fool self to death"
D
Well captain said to John Henry
              C     G  A
"What is that storm I hear?"
      D                          G      G7
John Henry said, "That ain't no storm captain
        D       A             D          G7
That's just my hammer in the air, Lord, Lord
        D       A7            D
That's just my hammer in the air"

D
John Henry said to his shaker
             C     G    A
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
           D                             G        G7
Cause I'm swingin' thirty pounds from my hips on down
       D            A          D          G7
Yeah, listen to my cold steel ring, Lord Lord
D             A7         D
Listen to my cold steel ring"

D
That John Henry he hammered in the mountains
                C    G   A
His hammer was striking fire
        D                 G         G7
But he worked so hard it broke his heart
      D          A                   D           G7
John Henry laid down his hammer and died, Lord, Lord
      D          A7                  D
John Henry laid down his hammer and died

D
Well, now John Henry he had him a woman
               C  G  A
By the name of Polly Ann
            D                             G            G7
She walked out to those tracks picked up John Henry's hammer
     D           A            D          G7
And Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
 D                A7           D
Polly drove that steel like a man

D
Well every, every Monday morning
                 C     G       A
When a blue bird he begins to sing
         D                      G       G7
You can hear John Henry from a mile or more
         D         A              D           G7
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
         D         A7             D
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
                          A              D           G7
I said you can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
         D         A7             D
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring