BALLAD
traditional �allad
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5
John Henry was a lil baby,
Sittin’ on his mama’s knee,
Said: “The Big Bend Tunnel on the C. & O. road1
Gonna cause the death of me,
Lawd, Lawd, gonna cause the death of me.”
10
Cap’n says to John Henry,
“Gonna bring me a steam drill ’round,
Gonna take that steam drill out on the job,
Gonna whop that steel on down,
Lawd, Lawd, gonna whop that steel on down.”
15
John Henry tol’ his cap’n,
Lightnin’ was in his eye:
“Cap’n, bet yo’ las, red cent on me,
Fo’ I’ll beat it to the bottom or I’ll die,
Lawd, Lawd, I’ll beat it to the bottom or I’ll die.”
20
Sun shine hot an’ burnin’,
Wer’n’t no breeze a-tall,
Sweat ran down like water down a hill,
That day John Henry let his hammer fall,
Lawd, Lawd, that day John Henry let his hammer fall.
25
John Henry went to the tunnel,
An’ they put him in the lead to drive,
The rock so tall an’ John Henry so small,
That he lied down his hammer an’ he cried,
Lawd, Lawd, that he lied down his hammer an’ he cried.
John Henry started on the right hand,
The steam drill started on the lef’—
1. C. & O. road Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The C & O’s Big Bend railroad tunnel was built
in the 1870s through a mountain in West Virginia.
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30
“Before I’d let this steam drill beat me down,
I’d hammer my fool self to death,
Lawd, Lawd, I’d hammer my fool self to death.”
35
John Henry had a lil woman,
Her name were Polly Ann,
John Henry took sick an’ had to go to bed,
Polly Ann drove steel like a man,
Lawd, Lawd, Polly Ann drove steel like a man.
40
John Henry said to his shaker,2
“Shaker, why don’ you sing?
I’m throwin’ twelve poun’s from my hips on down,
Jes’ listen to the col’ steel ring,
Lawd, Lawd, jes’ listen to the col’ steel ring.”
45
Oh, the captain said to John Henry,
“I b’lieve this mountain’s sinkin’ in.”
John Henry said to his captain, oh my!
“Ain’ nothin’ but my hammer suckin’ win’,
Lawd, Lawd, ain’ nothin’ but my hammer
suckin’ win’.”
50
John Henry tol’ his shaker,
“Shaker, you better pray,
For, if I miss this six-foot steel,
Tomorrow’ll be yo’ buryin’ day,
Lawd, Lawd, tomorrow’ll be yo’ buryin’ day.”
55
John Henry tol’ his captain,
“Look yonder what I see—
Yo’ drill’s done broke an’ yo’ hole’s done choke,
An’ you cain’ drive steel like me,
Lawd, Lawd, an’ you cain’ drive steel like me.”
2. shaker (§à» kßr) n. person who sets the spikes and places the drills for a
steel-driver to hammer.
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60
65
70
The man that invented the steam drill,
Thought he was mighty fine.
John Henry drove his fifteen feet,
An’ the steam drill only made nine,
Lawd, Lawd, an’ the steam drill only made
nine.
The hammer that John Henry swung,
It weighed over nine pound;
He broke a rib in his lef’-han’ side,
An’ his intrels3 fell on the groun’,
Lawd, Lawd, an’ his intrels fell on the
groun’.
All the womens in the Wes’,
When they heared of John Henry’s death,
Stood in the rain, flagged the eas’-boun’
train,
Goin’ where John Henry fell dead,
Lawd, Lawd, goin’ where John Henry fell
dead.
75
John Henry’s lil mother,
She was all dressed in red,
She jumped in bed, covered up her head,
Said she didn’ know her son was dead,
Lawd, Lawd, didn’ know her son was dead.
80
Dey took John Henry to the graveyard,
An’ they buried him in the san’,
An’ every locomotive come roarin’ by,
Says, “There lays a steel-drivin’ man,
Lawd, Lawd, there lays a steel-drivin’ man.”
3. intrels n. dialect for entrails (en» tràlz)—internal organs.
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Close Reading Activities
READ
Comprehension
Reread all or part of the text to help you
answer the following questions.
1. Who is the main character in this ballad?
2. With what does this character compete?
3. What tool does the main character use?
4. What happens to the main character in
the end?
Research: Clarify Details Choose an
unfamiliar detail from the ballad and briefly
conduct research on it. Explain how your
research clarifies the text.
Summarize Write an objective summary of
the ballad. Remember that to be objective, a
summary must be free from evaluation.
Language Study
Selection Vocabulary: Dialect Dialect is
a version of a language, spoken in a given
region. Using context, translate these dialect
words from the ballad into standard English.
tlied (line 24)
tJes’ (line 39)
tdone broke (line 53)
Literary Analysis
Reread the identified passage. Then,
respond to the questions that follow:
Focus Passage (ll. 36–55, p. 156)
John Henry said . . . “like me.”
Key Ideas and Details
1. Who or what has won the contest?
Craft and Structure
2. (a) Analyze: Describe John Henry’s
interactions with his shaker.
(b) Interpret: What kind of character do
these interactions show John Henry to be?
3. Draw Conclusions: What does John
Henry’s reaction to the victory show about
his reasons for challenging the drill?
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
4. (a) Connect: What aspects of John Henry’s
character, shown in the passage, lead to
his downfall? (b) Interpret: Explain what
feelings his downfall inspires in readers.
Oral Tradition
The oral tradition consists of works that were
originally passed on by word of mouth. Reread
the ballad, taking notes on these elements of
the oral tradition: repetition and exaggeration.
1. (a) Find two examples of repeated phrases.
(b) Why is this repetition appropriate for a
poem meant to be spoken aloud?
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2. (a) Find two examples of exaggeration.
(b) Human vs. Machine: What do these
examples add to the picture of John Henry
as a hero in the conflict with machines?
3. Cite a modern song or story that shares a
theme, character type, or pattern of events
with “John Henry.” What does your choice
show about the oral tradition?
BALLAD
DEVELOPING INSIGHT I HUMAN VS. MACHINE
traditional �allad
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From Text to Topic Panel Discussion
Discuss the following passage in a panel discussion for the class.
Panelists should take turns contributing ideas and supporting them
with examples from the text.
15
John Henry tol’ his cap’n,
Lightnin’ was in his eye:
“Cap’n, bet yo’ las, red cent on me,
Fo’ I’ll beat it to the bottom or I’ll die,
Lawd, Lawd, I’ll beat it to the bottom or I’ll die.”
QUESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION
1. What does the
passage indicate
about John Henry’s
struggle?
2. What does his
struggle suggest
about the relationship
between humans and
machines?
Research Investigate the Topic
The Machine Age In the nineteenth century, during the Industrial
Revolution, huge steam engines helped transform work. The engines
were used to power everything from locomotives to factory machines.
The rise of these machines had positive and negative effects.
Assignment
Conduct research on the rise of machines in the nineteenth century
and its effects on the average worker. Consult both primary sources,
such as letters from the time, and secondary sources, such as
encyclopedias. Take clear notes and identify your sources. Record
your findings in an outline annotated with relevant quotations.
PREPARATION
FOR ESSAY
You may use the results
of this research project to
support your ideas in the
essay you will write at
the end of this section.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
Writing to Sources Argument
The story of John Henry has been retold in a variety of media.
Assignment
With your teacher’s help and approval, view a film or cartoon version
of “John Henry.” Write an evaluation of how well this version
interprets the original story.
Academic terms appear
in blue on these pages.
Use a dictionary to find
their definitions. Then,
use the words as you
speak and write about
the text.
tIntroduce the topic and clearly summarize your evaluation.
tThen, discuss how faithful the production is to the original. Consider
any changes to the plot, characters, language, or theme of the original.
tSupport your claims with details about the performances in and visual
style of the production, including the use of cuts and viewpoint.
tProvide a conclusion that sums up your points.
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