There are just some songs that need to be played on the banjo and this is one of them. Everyone that plays banjo should put this song on the list!

The Folk Song Of The Week is John Henry and I love to sing about that steel drivin’ man!

Grab your banjo and play along!

John Henry (PDF)

JOHN HENRY

John [G]Henry was a little baby boy, sittin’ on his papa’s [D7]knee.

He [G]picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel;

said, “Hammer’s gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord.

Hammer’s gonna be the [D7]death of [G]me.”

The captain said to John Henry “Gonna bring that steam drill ’round.
Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job. Gonna whop that steel on down. Down, Down.
Whop that steel on down.”

John Henry told his captain, “A man ain’t nothin’ but a man,
But before I let your steam drill beat me down, I’d die with a hammer in my hand. Lord, Lord.
I’d dies with a hammer in my hand.”

John Henry said to his shaker,”Shaker, why don’t you sing?
I’m throwin’ thirty pounds from my hips on down.
Just listen to that cold steel ring. Lord, Lord.
Listen to that cold steel ring.”

The man that invented the stream drill thought he was mighty fine,
But John Henry made fifteen feet; the steam drill only made nine. Lord, Lord.
The steam drill only made nine.

John Henry hammered in the mountain his hammer was striking fire.
But he worked so hard, he broke his poor heart.
He laid down his hammer and he died. Lord, Lord.
He laid down his hammer and he died.

John Henry had a little woman. Her name was Polly Ann.
John Henry took sick and went to his bed. Polly Ann drove steel like a man. Lord, Lord.
Polly Ann drove steel like a man.

John Henry had a little baby. You could hold him in the palm of your hand.
The last words I heard that poor boy say, “My daddy was steel-driving man. Lord, Lord.
My daddy was a steel-driving.”

Well, every Monday morning when the bluebirds begin to sing.
You can hear John Henry a mile or more. You can hear John Henry’s hammer ring. Lord, Lord.
You can hear John Henry’s hammer ring.

This time the Folk Song Of The Week is Long Back Veil. Grab your banjo and frail along!

It’s a great song and I love to play it!

Long Black Veil (PDF)

Long Black Veil

[G]Ten years ago on a cold dark night

there was [D7]someone killed ‘neath the [C]town hall [G]light

There were few at the scene but they all agreed

that the [D7]man who ran, looked a [C]lot like [G]me

The judge said son what is your alibi
if you were somewhere else than you don’t have to die.
I spoke not a word, though it meant my life
for I’d been in the arms of my best friends wife

(chorus)

She [C]walks the [G]hills in a [C]long black [G]veil

she [C]visits my [G]grave when the [C]night winds [G]wail

nobody knows, [C]nobody [G]sees

[C]nobody [D7]knows but [G]me.

The scaffold was high and eternity near
she stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans
In a long black veil, she cries o’er my bones