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Drive-By Truckers
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The Day John Henry Died
Lyricist:Jason Isbell
I watched the rain it settled in we disappeared for days again Most of us were stayin' in, lazy like the sky The letters flew across the wire filtered through a million liars The whole world smelled like burning tires the day John Henry died
We knew about that big machine that ran on human hope and steam Bets on John were far between and mostly on the side We heard he put up quite a fight his hands and feet turned snowy white That hammer rang out through the night the day John Henry died
When John Henry was a little bitty baby Nobody ever taught him how to read But he knew the perfect way to hold a hammer Was the way the railroad baron held the deed
It didn't matter if he won, if he lived, or if he'd run Find more lyrics at ※ Mojim.com They changed the way his job was done, labor costs were high That new machine was cheap as hell and only John would work as well So they left him laying where he fell the day John Henry died
John Henry was a steel-driving bastard But John Henry was a bastard just the same An engine never thinks about his daddy And an engine never needs to write its name
So pack your bags, we're headed west and L.A. ain't no place to rest You'll need some sleep to pass the test, so get some on the flight And say your prayers John Henry Ford 'Cause we don't need your work no more You should have known the final score the day John Henry died The day John Henry died
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