[Verse 1] They brought the machine to the mountain side Said it could work faster than any man alive John Henry looked that steel in the eye Said “A man ain’t nothing but a man — but I’ll try” [Pre-Chorus] He swung that hammer from the break of day Sweat on his brow, but he wouldn’t give way [Chorus] I’ll die with the hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord I’ll die with the hammer in my hand They can build their towers, they can build their machines But they’ll never break the fire in a man who dreams [Verse 2] The machine kept pounding, the mountain shook John Henry matched it, every blow he took Blood on the hammer, blood on the rail He drove that steel till his heart gave way [Pre-Chorus] They say the machine won that fateful day But every soul who heard that story still says… [Bridge – minimal, spoken/sung] No surrender No machine Every swing becomes the scream If the steel breaks me If I fall Then the hammer lives on after all [Epic Guitar Solo] [Final Chorus – powerful, soaring] I’ll die with the hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord I’ll die with the hammer in my hand They can have their progress, they can have their machines But they’ll never own the spirit in a man who dreams [Outro – sparse, heavy] The mountain still remembers… The hammer and the man…
