history of the song john henry
The story of John Henry, told mostly through ballads and work songs, traveled from coast to coast as the railroads drove west during the 19th Century. ALABAMA ORIGIN: John Garth: In my opinion, the data gathered by Guy Johnson and Louis Chappell, and published in their books of 1929 and 1933, respectively, make it very unlikely that John Henry raced a steam drill at Big Bend Tunnel. Whitewashed barracks, train tracks and sand pictured in this 1912 postcard of the Virginia State Penitentiary led Scott Nelson to identify folk hero John Henry as a convict laborer who died while working on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad line in the 1870s and was buried on the grounds of the penitentiary. Lord, Lord. American Skiffle Bands, Folkways FA 2610, LP (1957), cut# 7; Perkins, Virgil. studio version-originally released in 1963 on Blood,Sweat and Tears Gamblers Blues, Verve FV 9007, LP (196? Allegheny Trails, Jewel LPS 504, LP (1975), cut#B.04; McCurdy, Ed. Southern Folk Ballads, Vol. About 15 miles east of Birmingham the C & W line (later Central of Georgia and now Norfolk Southern) passes through Coosa and Oak Mountain Tunnels, which are two miles apart, portal to portal. New Orleans Jazz, Folk Lyric FL 110, LP (195? While the character may or may not have been based on a real person, Henry became an important blue-collar icon as the saga of his race against a steam powered hammer developed mythic proportions. Arnett, p. 111, "John Henry" (1 text, 1 tune). picked up an hammer in his little right hand. My daddy was a steel-driving." ), cut# 13; Van Ronk, Dave. Billy … Dog Days of August, Flying Fish FF 394, LP (1986), cut#B.02; Chicago String Band. Learn about how the beloved children's book came to be and the hidden political message in its story. Well, every Monday morning When the bluebirds begin to sing. Combs/Wilgus 81, pp. “Postman”, a song from our new album, is on a UK blues show playlist, along with songs from some vert well-known blues artists. Old-Time Banjo Project, Elektra EKL-7276, LP, cut# 19; Wood, Bill. Dr. Bennet Omalu and his battle to raise awareness about CTE is the inspiration behind the 2015 movie starring Will Smith. John Henry . He was a Rensellear-educated civil engineer who made a career of railroad design and construction. of young John Henry. Whoa Mule, June Appal JA 0051, LP (1987), cut# 12; Sexton, Morgan. Shady Grove, June Appal JA 0066C, Cas (1992), cut# 6; Sexton, Morgan. Volume II, Traditional FFS-529, LP (198? The remains were transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where they are being studied. Virtually every schoolchild knows the tale, transmitted through song, story … John Henry is an American folk hero. Some say he's born in Texas. John Henry, steel driver extraordinare, surely one of our most popular legendary heroes. The story of John Henry is considered a ballad because the story is told in a classic folk song. Ritchie-SingFam, pp. John Henry, hero of a widely sung African American folk ballad. Spencer mentioned "Cruzee" Mountain, similar to Barker's "Cursey," which Johnson could never find, in Alabama or anywhere else. Tribute to Tommy Jarrell, Heritage (Galax) 063, LP (1986), cut# 5; Winston, Winnie. Most historians agree that he was, ... Work songs like "The Ballad of John Henry" helped the railway workers perform their rhythmic jobs more efficiently. PARLOR SONGS OF THE 1890′s-The Civil War gave the American publishing industry a huge boost. Virtually every schoolchild knows the tale, transmitted through song… John Henry had a little baby. From the William & Mary News, (1998) came this article- History Professor Locates Gravesite Of Folk Hero; Postcard yields clues about John Henry's final days. I'm told that this is a reasonable age for a champion steel driver. John Henry beat the steam drill and later died of exhaustion. John Henry when he was a baby. He was born in Virginia in 1834/35; raised in Raymond, Mississippi, from about age one; and settled his family in nearby Crystal Springs, Mississippi, after the Civil War. Oldtime Music from the North Carolina Piedmont, Global Village Global-C217, Cas (1989), cut# 6; Thompson, Joe; and Odell Thompson. This Genius project helps connect music to historical events Many times, we listen to a song, not ever knowing it was based on an actual event in history. Swamped, Rounder 0277, LP (1990), cut# 1; Gardner, Worley. Big Bad John Good Ole Mountain Music, King 666, LP (196? Lomax-ABFS, pp. In the musical, John abjures slavery immediately after his shipboard epiphany and sails to Barbados to search for and buy the freedom of Thomas. Clawhammer Banjo, Vol. Henry supposedly beat the drill, only to die on the job "with his hammer in his hand." Mountain Music of Kentucky, Smithsonian/Folkways SF 40077, CD (1996), cut#1.03; Critton Hollow (String Band). Everybody Sing, Vol 2., Riverside RLP-1419, LP (196? ), cut#B.02; Hazel And Alice. 24-25, "John Henry" (1 text, 1 tune). Soldiers on the battlefield and folks at home wanted songs about the War to sing. Under the leadership of MP William Wilberforce, the English civil government outlawed slavery in Great Britain in 1807 and Newton lived to see it, dying in December of that year. Folklore Society, Bk (1964), p246; American Songbag, Harcourt Brace Jovan..., Sof (1955), p 24; Anthology of American Folk Music, Oak, Sof (1973), p 52 (Gonna Die With My Hammer in my Hand); Atkins, Chet. He can be seen as a symbol of black strength and of African Americans' refusal to be crushed. (In the show, the elder Newton is wounded during the battle for his son’s freedom and later has a tearful deathbed scene with John on board ship.). The song and its sequels tell a story typical of American folklore, reminiscent of Paul Bunyan or John Henry. Frank Hamilton Sings Folk Songs, Folkways FA 2437, LP (1962), cut# 9; Harman, Bob; and the Blue Ridge Descendants. The line about “sitting on his mammy’s knee” comes from Welsh miners. The discoveries that Coosa and Oak Tunnels exist, that they have railroad tunnels through them, that these were built in 1887-88, that a Dabney was the engineer in charge of construction, that he was from Mississippi, and that his family owned slaves near Crystal Springs lend credence to the testimonies of Spencer, Barker, and Cummings. Living Black and White, Marimac 9048, Cas (1991), cut# 9; Hooven, Greg. ; Okalli Malli; KC Blues. Between 1970 and 1972, Judy Collins’ recording spent 67 weeks on the chart and peaked at number 5. Lilly Brothers: Early Recordings, County 729, LP (197? But despair sets in again when the railroad sends a steam hammer to replace the crew and burns the contract. Round Peak Band, Marimac 9044, Cas (1992), cut#A.03; Russell Family. John Henry (Traditional) When John Henry was a little baby, Just a sittn' on his mammy's knee, Said, "The Big Bend Tunnel on that C&O Road Gonna be the death of me, Lord God Going to be the death of me." Folk Festival of the Smokies. After the Civil War, thousands of African-American men performed the back-breaking work of tunneling through mountains, connecting the American South to the West. Cummings stated that John Henry beat the steam drill and died at Oak Mountain in 1887, an event that her uncle witnessed. "Coosa" is locally pronounced "Koo'see" and is even spelled that way in some old documents. John Henry Brown, pioneer historian, newspaper editor, soldier, and legislator, was born on October 29, 1820, in Pike County, Missouri, to Margaret (Jones) and Henry S. Brown.Although Henry S. Brown was involved in Texas affairs from 1824 till his death in 1834, his family remained in Missouri, where John Henry began working in a printing office at age twelve. Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites, RCA (Victor) LPM-1022, LP (1954), cut#A.03; Bird, Elmer. Even though most Americans know the song, the history behind it remains a mystery to many. 1. The ultimate battle of man versus machine, John Henry represented the hearts of the working men who struggled to keep their jobs on the railroad as machines began moving in to do their work. (Note: Since the publication of the article I have learned that one of P. A. L. Dabney's slaves was Henry, born in 1844. Measurements gave John Henry 27 1/2 feet and the steam drill 21. Bucktime!, Puritan 5005, LP (1974), cut# 11; Belafonte, Harry. Widely recognised and remembered as one among the greatest rock ‘n’ roll drummers in the On the evening of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere left his home and set out on his now legendary midnight ride. These men made a massive effort, focused on Big Bend, and failed to find anything definitive, despite the fact that they were able to interview about a dozen men who had worked on the construction of that tunnel. Dock Boggs, Vol 2, Folkways FA 2392, LP (1965), cut# 17; Bogtrotters (Bog Trotters). He wrote the words for “Amazing Grace” in 1772 (In 1835, William Walker put the words to the popular tune “New Britain”). Organize!" Pine Knots School Rowdies, Marimac 9037, Cas (1992), cut# 21; Ledford, Lilly Mae. Music from the Hills of Caldwell County, Physical 12-001, LP (1975), cut# 12; Pierce, Billie and De De. Evidently Spencer simply got his Mississippi "Springs" towns confused when he mentioned Holly Springs, which, being near Memphis, is not very close to Crystal Springs, south of Jackson. Sentimental Songs and Old Time Melodies, Fretless FR 160, LP (1981), cut# 3; Dyer-Bennet, Richard. ), cut# 3; Sutphin, Vernon. "I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time afterward,” he later wrote. In the Virginia story, the legendary steel driver was John William Henry, a convict at the old Virginia Penitentiary, Richmond. Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Elvis are among the many artists to record the song. When John Henry was a little boy A-sitting on his father's knee Says, "The Big Bend Tunnel on the C&O Road Is going to be the death of me, my babe" John he made a steel-driving man They took him to the tunnel to drive He drove so hard he broke his heart He laid down his hammer and he died, my babe O now John Hardy is a steel-driving man Related Black History Biographies: Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 Henry Ossawa Tanner was the preeminent black artist of the 19th century, and the first African American painter to...; Henry Ossian Flipper 1856-1940 Henry Ossian Flipper was the first African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. It was not until 1788, 34 years after leaving it that he renounced his former slaving profession by publishing a blazing pamphlet called “Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade.” The tract described the horrific conditions on the ships and Newton apologized for making a public statement so many years after participating in the trade: “It will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.” The pamphlet was so popular it was reprinted several times and sent to every member of Parliament. Spencer said that he personally witnessed John Henry's death. After attempting to desert, he received eight dozen lashes and was reduced to the rank of common seaman. Appalachian Minstrel, Washington VM 736, LP (1956), cut#B.07; Mainer's Mountaineers (J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers). But the real story behind the somewhat sentimental musical told in Newton’s autobiography reveals a more complex and ambiguous history. Like many hammer men, John Henry was literally worked to death. The locomotive was winning the race until a mechanical malfunction caused it to slow, allowing the horse-drawn car to pull ahead. ), A.03 (When John Henry was a Little Boy); Mountain Ramblers. Comin' Round the Mountain, Voyager VLRP 302, LP (197? The tunnel and the man have been cemented into the annals of time through The Ballad of John Henry. Blue Ridge Bluegrass, County 702, LP, cut# 6; Riddle, Lesley. Greenback Dollar, Vee-Jay VJS-1126, LP (1964), cut#B.05; Baker, Etta. An amazing story of the human spirit and work ethic, yes, but was John Henry a real person? Chet Atkins "off the record", Mel Bay, fol (1976), p44; Bonner, Henry. You can hear John Henry's hammer ring. Except, John Henry is more than a legend. After returning to England, Newton and his sweetheart Mary Catlett dramatically confront the Prince of Wales and urge him to abolish the cruel practice. He is a folk hero in all—by resisting either the dehumanizing effects of technology or a racist power structure. ), cut#A.06; Cephas, John. Johnson received letters from C. C. Spencer, F. P. Barker, and Glendora Cannon Cummings, all of whom placed John Henry and his race with a steam drill in Alabama during the 1880s. Dave Van Ronk Sings Ballads, Blues and Spirituals, Folkways FS 3818, LP (1959), cut#B.06; Wijnkamp, Leo;, Jr.. Rags to Riches, Kicking Mule KM 117, LP (1975), cut#A.03f (Banjo Medley); Wiley, Paul. This tradition is as old and strong as that for Big Bend. His wife came and cradled his head in her lap. John proposes a challenge: man against machine. Singing Family of the Cumberlands, Oak, Bk (1955), p.241; Seeger, Pete. While most folklorists have believed that John Henry was a paid laborer, Nelson knew from his previous research into Southern railroad history that most railroad workers on the C&O line in the 1870s were convicts. During that time the rector of Killurin Parish, the Reverend Abraham Swanne, was a lasting influence on Lyte's life and ministry. In addition, there is a strong local tradition among Central of Georgia employees and around Leeds, Alabama, that John Henry raced a steam drill and died just outside the east portal of Oak Mountain Tunnel, between Oak and Coosa Mountain Tunnels. It tells the story of a train conductor and his death while on the job. ), cut# 10; Parson, Phoeba. Finally, in about a dozen versions of "John Henry," there are lines that are more consistent with the Alabama location than with "Big Bend Tunnel on the C & O Road." Southern Clawhammer, Kicking Mule KM 213, Cas (1978), cut#B.06; Coleman Brothers. Tribute to Fred Cockerham, Heritage (Galax) 079C, Cas (1993), cut#A.03; Iron Mountain String Band (Galax). RECORDING INFO: Dock Boggs, "John Henry" (on Boggs2, BoggsCD1). Folk Music USA. "This seems unlikely, however, given that the Chesapeake & Ohio had a near-monopoly on Virginia's convicts in 1871 and 1872." Based on the real case of an accused murderer and a disgraced journalist, 'True Story' reveals that "telling the truth" can be a slippery concept. Learn about the real inspiration behind the 2017 movie about the Pentagon Papers. Old-Time Banjo Anthology, Vol. Folklorists long suspected that John Henry was a real person, but since folk heroes belong to everyone, the man remained obscured by the myth. 756-759, "John Henry" (2 texts). The song probably originated as a work song, like these versions, for work involving the use of a hammer. Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 13; Cephas, John. American Originals: A Heritage..., August House, Sof (1987), p.150; Pattman, Neal. While later serving on the Pegasus, an enslaved person ship, Newton did not get along with the crew who left him in West Africa with Amos Clowe, an enslaver. Vol. Mountain Music of Kentucky, Folkways FA 2317, LP (1960), cut# 14; Grigsby and Young. Man and his Music, Rebel SLP 1530, LP (1974), cut# 7; Stoneman, Glen. George Pegram, Rounder 0001, LP (1970), cut# 4; Pegram, George. ), cut#B.03; Sexton, Lee "Boy". Folk Music Radio, Radiola MR 1133, LP (1982), cut#A.10; Cooney, Michael. Library of Congress Banjo Collection, Rounder 0237, LP (1988), cut# 20; Kidwell, Fiddlin' Van. It's easy to attach all sorts of psycho-sociological theories to the ballad--including Marxist and Freudian interpretations; but as for hard facts about the origins of the story, we'll never get any closer than Guy Johnson and Louis Chappel did in the 1920s when they tried to interview anyone who claimed to remember anything about the building of the Big Bend (actually "Great Bend") tunnel to which the legend was most frequently attached. John Henry. The town of Athenry is immortalised in the song 'The Fields of Athenry' which was written by Pete St. John in the 1970s. Southern Journey. Another source of confusion is the work songs, or hammer songs, that mention John Henry. History. In the American mythic pantheon, John Henry stands right at the top, alongside Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Norm Cohen in 'The Long Steel Rail', p. 574-6, 1981, discusses the various theories, and says he can't be confident of the answers. Said "Hammer be the death of me me me, hammer be the death of me!" John, though, has the strength of ten men, and revitalizes all of them. Chicago String Band, Testament T-2229, LP (1966), cut#B.05; Clayton, Paul. Brett Williams: "John Henry: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1983). -- Anonymous, "The Ballad of John Henry" The ballad and folktale of John Henry, the tireless railroad worker, is the stuff of American legend. 1, Folkways FE 4530, LP (1959), cut#A.01; Phillips, Cora. To folklorists it is a "ballad," a story told in song. And in time, it has become timeless, spanning a century of generations with versions ranging from prisoners recorded at Mississippi's Parchman Farm in the late 1940s to present-day folk heroes. He described how John Henry fell into a faint near the end of the all-day contest on September 20, regained consciousness, said that he was blind and dying, and asked that his wife be summoned. Come and Go With Me, County 748, LP (1974), cut# 1; Jarrell, Tommy. Goin' to the Grand Ole Opry, OV 1726, LP (1976), cut# 6; Stringbean (David Ackerman). We've Got Some Singing to Do, Folkways FA 2407, LP (1958), cut#A.03; Furtado, Tony. How to Play the Five String Banjo, Folkways FTS 38303, LP (1974), cut# 2; Seeger, Pete. Here are two theories: WEST VIRGINIA ORIGIN: Lomax credits Chappell with the tracking of the major folk hero's roots. Odetta and Larry, Fantasy 3345, LP (196? John Henry is a short based on the tall tale of the same name that was released in 2000. Won't You Come and Sing for Me, Folkways FTS 31034, LP (1973), cut# 10; Heartbeats. It was a song about John Henry, the steel-driving man. This passage through the Allegheny Mountains was built between 1870 and 1873. While he wrote other carols, hymns and songs, it is this Christmastime favorite that will forever afford him a place in music history, while at the same time brand him a one-hit composer. In real life, Newton continued to sell his fellow human beings, making three voyages as the captain of two different vessels, The Duke of Argyle and the African. He received his education at the University of Vermont and at General Theological Seminary in New York City, graduating in 1850. Bill Cornett ,"John Henry" (on MMOKCD). This unlikely authorship forms the basis of Amazing Grace, a Broadway musical (written by Broadway first-timer Christopher Smith, a former Philadelphia policeman, and playwright Arthur Giron) which tells Newton’s life story from his early days as a licentious libertine in the British navy to his religious conversion and taking up the abolitionist cause. Old Traditions, Traditional JS-5117, LP (196? Martin Young & Corbett Grigsby, "John Henry" [instrumental] (on MMOKCD); New Lost City Ramblers, "John Henry" (on NLCR05). Barnyard Dance, Hen Cackle HC 501, LP (1980), cut#B.01; Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys. Which was not very close.”. Collections and recordings number in the many hundreds. Carroll County Pioneers, Marimac 9036, Cas (1992), cut# 3; Kimble Family. The beloved hymn and its author John Newton, a former enslaver, have inspired a new Broadway musical, but the true history is complex and ambiguous. The good news, however, is that they all tell the same basic story. Dulcimer Songs and Solos, Folkways FG 3571, LP (1962), cut# 10; Cockerham, Fred; and Kyle Creed. In the American mythic pantheon, John Henry stands right at the top, alongside Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. SONG: CORRINA (GGH) JOHN HENRY (GGH) VIII. John Henry. Many workers lost their lives in tunnel cave-ins, dynamite explosions and drilling accidents. John Henry was born on the porch of his mother's house and shortly after he was born he grew so tall and so strong,he grew straight through the roof of the house. JOHN HENRY . John Henry (the Steel Driving Man); Axton, Hoyt. Fiddlin' Mutt Poston and the Farm Hands, Rural Rhythm RRFT 157, LP (197? 1 1/4 mile long, the Big Bend was the biggest tunnel job attempted by man up to that date". ), cut# 9; Broonzy, Big Bill. ), cut# 7; Williamson Brothers and Curry. ), cut#A.01; Jackson, John. John Henry he could hammer, He could whistle, he could sing He went to the mountain early in the mornin' Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord Just to hear his hammer ring. "Folklorists have not known what to make of this passage," Nelson said, "and have wondered how John Henry's body might have ended up at the Oval Office, where there is no railroad and no sand." States all over the South claimed him, as did railroad workers and coal miners. Historical research supports John Henry as a real person; one of thousands of African- American railroad workers, specifically a steel driver, half of a two man team specializing in the hand drilling of holes up to fourteen feet deep into solid rock for the setting of explosive charges. Original Bogtrotters, Biograph RC 6003, LP (196? 3-10, "John Henry" (2 texts, 1 tune). As the story has it, Henry was challenged to a workers' duel - his hammer versus a giant steam drill. One of the most popular of all American folksongs, the raging debate started in the 1920’s about the identity of the real John Henry goes on. Vol. Thus, the evidence favors a site near Oak and Coosa Mountains, Alabama, and 1887 as the place and time of John Henry's race with a steam drill. While the identity of John Henry may never be conclusively proven, there are many interesting theories, based on fact, that are worth considering. Much like the legend of the steel worker John Henry (who, famously, "died with a hammer in his hand"), the story of work-til-you-die martyr Casey Jones has lived throughout labor history, and has even inspired a version of the song by the Grateful Dead. ), cut# 4b; McCurdy, Ed. Folk Visions & Voices. The beloved hymn and its author John Newton, a former enslaver, have inspired a new Broadway musical, but the true history is complex and ambiguous. Fruit Jar Guzzlers, "Steel Driving Man" (Broadway 8199, 1928; on TimesAint03). The last words I heard that poor boy say, "My daddy was steel-driving man. Hammer's gonna be the death of me." "Most accounts of John Henry claim he was a high-priced railroad worker," Nelson said. In those days the men that worked on the railroad used song as a form of entertainment. ), cut# 4; Gaskin, Phyllis. Cox has versions with intermixed lyrics and John Hardy version 11 in this collection was mistakenly named “John Henry.”. Blind James Campbell and his Nashville Street Band, Arhoolie F 1015, LP (196? You could hold him in the palm of your hand. John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's knee. ), cut# 7; Limeliters. An entire crew of freed slaves has been promised land if they can finish by deadline, but they're exhausted and unable to continue. This maiden will lead you away. An entire crew of freed slaves has been promised land if they can finish by deadline, but they're exhausted and unable to continue. Banjo Pickin' Girl, Greenhays GR 712, LP (1983), cut# 8; Lewis, Ed. Red as the roses Of Midsomer County. Return of the Wayfaring Stranger, Columbia CL 1459, LP (197? Captain was his Confederate army rank. ), cut# 8; Folksmiths. These failures caused Johnson to abandon Alabama, in favor of Big Bend, in his unsuccessful pursuit of John Henry. Directed by Will Forbes. But they were also proud of him for saving their jobs. No headstone to mark him, No lover to grieve him, Save for the roses Of Midsomer County. John Henry Hopkins Jr. may not have a name the average man or woman would recognize, but he was the author of a work virtually everyone knows, the Christmas carol We Three Kings of Orient Are. It was a way of remembering the truth, of mourning and hoping at once. Galvanized rubber jewelry found on the skeletons helped archaeologists to date the site to the second half of the 19th century. ), cut# 21; Swendel, Johnny. SOURCES: Laws I1, "John Henry". Anglo-American Shanties, Lyric Songs, Dance Tunes & Spirituals, Library of Congress AAFS L 2, LP (195? Learn about the Jewish refugee whose painting of her aunt was stolen by Nazis and inspired the 2015 movie starring Helen Mirren. For decades, the final stanza of "John Henry" has stumped historians: "They took John Henry to the white house and they buried him in the sand/Now every locomotive that come roarin' by says there lies a steel-driving man.". Spencer also named the railroad under construction as the Alabama Great Southern, which exists but does not go over or through a mountain with a name similar to "Cruzee" or "Cursey." Ironically, this stirring song, closely associated with the African American community, was written by a former enslaver, John Newton. But deep in the Greenwood Of Midsomer County Lies young John Henry As cold as can be. Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia, Smithsonian SF 40079, CD (1998), cut#12; Van Ronk, Dave. 240-241, "[John Henry]" (1 text, 1 tune). Bruce Molsky and Big Hoedown, Rounder 0421, CD (1997), cut# 7; Moody, Clyde. The recordings available online include Arthur Bell singng the song while beating time as if hammering and Harold Hazelhurst singing " John Henry " as a work song for driving railroad spikes. Obviously, "Coosa" was intended by "Cruzee" and "Cursey" in Spencer's and Barker's letters. Just to hear his hammer ring, Lord, Lord Just to hear his hammer ring. It starts with the death and funeral, then goes back to the familiar story). The tale of John Henry has been used as a symbol in many cultural movements, including labor movements and the Civil Rights Movement. So the real song of John Henry was no lively ballad at all. Over 800 men, many of them African American, cut a 6,450 foot-long tunnel through the mountain. It tells the story of a young man who is caught stealing corn from Lord Trevelyn during the Irish Famine and who is deported to Botany Bay in Australia as punishment. Library of Congress Banjo Collection, Rounder 0237, LP (1988), cut# 21; Thomas, Henry (Ragtime Texas Henry). Close to Home, Smithsonian/Folkways SF 40097, CD (1997), cut#13; Roberts, James. Recently, President Obama burst into the familiar tune during the memorial service for Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a victim of a heinous church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. "There Is Power In a Union" Joe Hill, before he died, said "Don't waste time mourning. The beloved hymn and its author John Newton, a former enslaver, have inspired a new Broadway musical, but the true history is complex and ambiguous. McNeil-SFB1, pp. The soaring spiritual describing profound religious elation is estimated to be performed 10 million times annually and has appeared on over 11,000 albums. Others died from easily preventable diseases such as scurvy, consumption and dysentery. “The Ballad of John Henry” has become one of the most covered folk songs in American history. Spencer's letter was especially rich in detail, but Johnson was frustrated by the failures of his attempts to verify some of Spencer's facts. Poor Boy, Yodel-Ay-Hee 108327, LP (1979), cut# 11; Davis, Bill and Jean. The Ballad of John Henry TRADITIONAL On August 28, 1830, the driver of a horse-drawn carriage challenged the Tom Thumb, the first American-built steam locomotive, to a race on the newly formed Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. When we talk about "John Henry," we may be referring to a ballad, a work song, a folk hero, or a legend. In February of 1870, workers began drilling the Great Bend Tunnel where the Greenbrier River makes a seven-mile meander around Big Bend Mountain. ), cut# 3; McCoy, Paul (B.). Clawhammer Banjo, County 701, LP (1965), cut# 13; Cockerham, Fred. And warm was the blood That flowed from his body. Lomax believes that John Henry is a descendent of Old John the trickster slave and that the origins of the song springs from the old Hammer song and Lass Of Roch Royal. Richard Dyer-Bennet No. On stage, Newton’s African adventures and enslavement are a bit more flashy with the ship going down, a thrilling underwater rescue of Newton by his loyal retainer Thomas, and an implied love affair between Newton and the Princess.