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November 08, 2005
John Henry song lyrics
The early version and the construction crew song are two of the most similar. In the first version though, the woman's name is Pollie Ann. In the second, her name is Lucy and not only is her dress blue, but also her eyes. He even named his hammer after her. In the first version, she takes the train to his death site, while in the second one, his woman is right there. The second is much more in dialect with words like "lissen," etc. The second one seems more like a tall tale because it goes into more detail about his strength and that the white man was his friend. I think that it wasn't really a tall tale though, because the way he is described on the website makes him seem alot more real than Paul Bunyan. He gives a good social commentary in the song, though. He talks about how being free is still like being enslaved when you're a steel driver because you are doing the physical labor while the whites bark orders still. His tale was often changed over time, I'm sure and if they made a Disney version of it, you know it wasn't all true. The second version was alot longer and surprisingly gave much more detail, which shows how stories grow through word of mouth. This song was also inspirational to many who feel oppressed. If even people on the chain gang are singing it, there must be some value to it.
Posted by ErinWaite at November 8, 2005 05:48 PM
Comments
Just curious... how is a story about death inspirational? Is the core message the fact that John Henry won, or that John Henry died?
I can see where you're coming from, of course, but I wouldn't mind drawing you out a bit more. Do you see one particular version of the song that does a better job emphasizing the lesson you got out of it?
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at November 9, 2005 04:57 PM
I think the core message is that John Henry stood up for people who really had nobody to stand up for them. I'm unaware if there were unions back then but if there were I'm sure that these rivet bangers and dynamite men were not involved. If the machine came in and took these peoples jobs they would have nothing left and no way to provide for their families. John Henry, as later Martin Luther King did, rose aginst harsh descrimination, avoiding confrontation and violence, replacing it with production. In this way a story about death can be inspirational.
Posted by: Quinn Kerno at November 9, 2005 05:31 PM
you're right, Quinn. I didn't look at it that way and I should have. His death was so inspirational because he stood up for what he believed in and not everyone dies for their cause so that is heroic in itself. Thank you, that helped alot.
Posted by: Erin Waite at November 10, 2005 09:52 PM
Dr. Jerz, as Quinn said so helpfully, instead of using violence, he used his hard work to push his cause. I believe his cause was to inspire his race and all workers in general who are just trying to get by in a world of discrimination. He was one of the few heros that died for his cause and I think that's what made this song stand out. In the construction crew version, I really saw this.
Posted by: Erin at November 10, 2005 09:56 PM
Okay, good point.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at November 10, 2005 10:35 PM
So with that point of view... what makes John Henry any different than Jesus?
Posted by: Leah at November 14, 2005 10:37 AM
What is the song that John Henry sang during his work on the railroad. I cant seem to find it anywhere!
Posted by: Audrey at March 23, 2006 01:38 PM