This version by seeger is one of the most rousing, and features some of his. Oct 18, 2006 the historical record is sketchy, but most of the verifiable facts about mr. Scott was my advisor in grad school it still impresses me, even after my third time reading steel drivin man, how solid this book is. John henry, he would spend his days drilling holes by hitting thick steel spikes. Check out john henry the steel driving man 1 by furry lewis on amazon music. An animated story which explores the life of the legendary john henry, a black man who pitted his strength against the steam drill. John henry died trying to defeat an invention that actually brought deliverance from the inhuman conditions of all steeldriving men, including him. Nelsons john henry make him plausible as the real steeldriving man. The john henry ballads probably originated as work songs for steel drivers and other rail workers in the 1870s. Steel drivin man john henry, the untold story of an american legend scott reynolds nelson john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history there are hundreds of version of the john henry ballad, it is routinely taught to american schoolchildren the song is enormously popular. The ballad of john henry, the steeldrivin man by unknown. Mar 18, 2017 julius lesters john henry is based on the african american folk ballad john henry, the tale of john henry, the steel driving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition between him and the steampowered drill in digging a railroad tunnel through a mountain. John henry drove spikes in the rail tracks, and he was faster than anybody whod ever worked the rails.
Much of the john henry story can be traced to the author guy johnson, who published a book called john henry. 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 a steel driving man, lord, lord my daddy was a steel driving man they took john henry to the. Dec 26, 2016 mix the legend of the steel driving man youtube. In the race of man against machine, john henry won, but he hammered so hard that he broke his heart. Now is your chance to be him in the highly addictive app john henry steel driving man. John henry the steel driving man 1 by furry lewis on. Aug 03, 2004 check out john henry the steel driving man 1 by furry lewis on amazon music.
Centered on the john henry of both reality and legend, it is a political, cultural, and social history that covers a lot of ground in under two hundred pages. Henry was taken to the penitentiary at virginia and interred at a group grave next to a whitish workhouse situated near a railway. Folklorists have long thought john henry to be mythical, but historian scott nelson has discovered that he was a real persona nineteenyearold from new jersey who was convicted of theft in a virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. There are hundreds of recordings in every conceivable musical genre.
Folklorists have long thought john henry to be mythical, but historian scott nelson has discovered that he was a real. Nov 07, 2014 provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises john henry, the steel driving man the stanley brothers shadows of the past. John henry, the steeldriving man, is a story about a. For the left, henry symbolizes the workingclass hero. Steel drivin man scott reynolds nelson oxford university. To do this he used a heavy, longhandled hammer to drive a steel drill into the rock face. As the story goes, john henry was the strongest, fastest, most powerful man working on the rails. The last words i heard that poor boy say, my daddy was steel driving man.
But they were also proud of him for saving their jobs. He was born a slave in the 1840s but was freed after the war. Tribute to john henry, steel driving man a happyglyphs. John henry, the steeldriving man, is a story about a guy who tried to singlehandedly outhammer a machine, won the hammering race, then dropped dead at the end of it. This early version was called john henry, steel driving man and contained 12 stanzas. Click the image to hear fiddlin john carson play john henry. Steel drivin man john s job was extremely difficult and dangerous. Fiddlin john carson pictured performed one of the earliest known recordings of a john henry song in 1924. Henry, or john william henry in previously unexplored prison records of the virginia penitentiary. When john henry was a little fellow,you could hold him in the palm of your hand,he said to his pa, when i grow upim gonna be a steeldriving man. One of the most colorful characters in american folklore is the legendary john henry. John henry there are countless versions of this africanamerican work song about the legendary steeldriving man. While the story of lost in the fog is told by way of his nutty yet likable owner, harry aleo, the. It was a song about john henry, the steeldriving man.
And john henry was the strongest, the most powerful man working the rails. Written at the crossroads where american myth and reality intersect, steel drivin man. This week, leaders in talcott, west virginia rededicated the towns most famous statue. The new john henry documentary will chronicle the life and legacy of this remarkable animal, and will include interviews with fans, celebrities, dignitaries and other notables that knew him or won big money from his successes. The john henry ballads probably originated as work songs for steeldrivers and other rail workers in the 1870s, and became more generalized as chain gang, worker, and prison songs. In his premiere episode heavy metal, his rivet guns were replaced with forearmmounted lasers. Many americans are familiar with the story of john henry. Nov 20, 20 consider the legend of john henry and his race against the newly invented steam hammer, a competition in driving steel to build a railroad line.
Thisconsistedofdriving a metal spike into the rock with a hammer. 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. Folklorists have long thought john henry to be mythical, but historian scott nelson has discovered that he was a real persona nineteenyearold from new jersey who was convicted of theft in a virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, and put. Now john henry was a steeldrivin man do you guys know what that means that means that he was a dude who worked on a railroad and his job was to kill mountains now the way he did this was some poor sonofabitch named little bill would hold a steel drill in place against the rock while john henry beat this shit out of it with a twenty pound hammer. John henry, the untold story of an american legend, historian scott reynolds nelson detailed his discovering documentation of a 19yearold africanamerican man alternately referred to as john henry, john w. In 1944 he embarked on what became a threeyear effort to create his most famous group of paintings, the john henry series. Anonymous, the ballad of john henry the ballad and folktale of john henry, the tireless railroad worker, is the stuff of american legend. When the drill reached the proper depth it was removed, the hole packed with explosives and the rock blasted free. John henry biography at black history now black heritage. Steel drivin man john henry, the untold story of an american legend scott reynolds nelson john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history there are hundreds of version of the john henry ballad, it is routinely taught to american schoolchildren. Similar to the 2008 lost in the fog documentary, john henry portrays a talented rags to riches story, but with a much happier ending. Provided to youtube by universal music group john henry, the steel drivin man the johnson mountain boys favorites.
The last words i heard that poor boy say, my daddy was steeldriving man. He died shortly after, some say from exhaustion, some say from a stroke. The idea, however, stemmed from his childhood when he heard his father and others sing the ballad of the steel drivin man and when he first made sketches of his hero. He looks like he is ready to spring off of his stone base and drive some serious steel. Glossary civil war the war between the northern and southern states of the united states of. Jun 17, 2012 this week, leaders in talcott, west virginia rededicated the towns most famous statue. The authors argument in steel drivin man is that the life of john henry was one of oppression multiplied through abuses of the penal system and forced. John henry was the greatest of hammerers, as well as the best of gamblers, the biggest of drinkers, nastiest of ghters, and the best of lovers. He used a 14pound hammer to drill, some historians believe, 10 to 20 feet in a 12hour day the best of any man on the rails. The historical record is sketchy, but most of the verifiable facts about mr.
He is said to have worked as a steeldriving mana man tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel. John henry went up on the mountain looked down on the other side lord the mountain was so tall john henry was so small. John henry became a steel drivin man, someone who swung a heavy hammer at a steel drill, driving it into rock to make railway tunnels through hills and mountains. Johnson obtained lyrics to the song that he estimated were written down in 1900. The story of john henry is told in a classic folk song, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of. We have all heard the legend of john henry the african american steel driver. John henry was a little baby boy you could hold him on the palm of your hand and his papa cried out this lonesome farewell son youre gonna be a steel driving man lord, lord son youre gonna be a steel driving man. The legend of john henry has been celebrated in song and story for generations, but my favorite version is the childrens picture book john henry by julius lester, with illustrations by jerry pinkney. John henry, the untold story of an american legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin men who built this country. Doctor john henry irons was a brilliant weapons engineer for amertek industries, who eventually became disgusted when the bg60, a powerful manportable energy cannon he had designed, fell into the wrong hands and was used to kill innocent people. John henry was a steel driver whose job was to make holes for the explosives used to blast away rock at the heading of the tunnel. The bronze statue is a testament to the folk legend, whose win over a mechanical steel driver is.
The steel driving racehorse, it seems as though a genre might be emerging. In his 2006 book steel drivin man, scott nelson utilizes john william henry, who might have worked in virginias lewis tunnel and died therein. When john henry was a little fellow,you could hold him in the palm of your hand,he said to his pa, when i grow upim gonna be a steel driving man. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises john henry, the steel driving man the stanley brothers shadows of the past. Nelsons john henry make him plausible as the real steel driving man. The bronze statue is a testament to the folk legend, whose win over a. John henry was a steeldrivin man eecs at uc berkeley. Consider the legend of john henry and his race against the newly invented steam hammer, a competition in driving steel to build a railroad line. The authors argument in steel drivin man is that the life of john henry was one of oppression multiplied through abuses of the penal system and forced penal labor. John henry is a massive for the time, at least and handsome black man. The spark of intelligence blazing in his eyes rivaled only by such characters as batman and steel. Given his line of work, he probably wears relatively tightfitting clothing, if any to minimize the buildup of heat when working. Julius lesters john henry is based on the african american folk ballad john henry, the tale of john henry, the steeldriving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone. It depicts an eight foot tall, muscle bound john henry, standing with his feet spread wide and a hammer in both hands.
American legends and folktales celebrates the wisdom and. According to the ballad that made him famous, john henry did battle with a steampowered drill, beat the machine, and died. The animated steel is missing the cape he adapted from superman after he saved john s life in superman. Given his line of work, he probably wears relatively tightfitting clothing, if any to minimize the buildup of. This book is a childrens version of steel drivin man. The untold story of an american legend, nelsons prizewinning 2006 book for grownups.
See more ideas about west virginia, west virginia history and appalachian people. John henry the steel driving man by andrey zolotukhin 2001. As the company would have coerced him to retain his services, john faked his death, and eventually came to metropolis. With andre brazeau, david garrett, mikal hameed, peter macon. Whether he was a true historical figure or a fictitious hero carved into the minds of common americans by oral tradition, his story has given inspiration to generations. The legend of john henry level m 15 16 the other workers were sad to lose john henry. From that day on, they sang a new song as they worked.
1412 1348 1438 545 125 311 130 210 617 1187 271 558 1129 615 335 1056 970 506 574 84 931 1571 862 904 1401 803 1381 271 547 471 72 146