Hand Painted Cachet by Dynamite Covers

John Henry Folklore First Day Cover - Part of a set of four Folklore Stamps including Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and the Mighty Casey at the Bat.

When John Henry was a little baby boy, sitting on
his daddy's knee
Well he picked up a hammer and little piece of steel 
Said Hammer's gonna be the death of me, lord, lord 
Hammer's gonna be the death of mine.

John Henry told his captain 
Lord a man ain't nothing but a man 
But before I'd let your steam drill beat me down 
I'd die with a hammer in my hand

John Henry said to his shaker 
Shaker why don't you sing 
Because I'm swinging thirty pounds from my
hips on down 
Just listen to that cold steel ring

Now the captain said to John Henry 
I believe that mountain's caving in 
John Henry said right back to the captain 
Ain't nothing but my hammer sucking wind

Now the man that invented the steam drill 
He thought he was mighty fine 
But John Henry drove fifteen feet 
The steam drill only made nine

John Henry hammered in the mountains 
His hammer was striking fire 
But he worked so hard, it broke his poor heart 
And he laid down his hammer and he died

John Henry had a little baby 
You could hold him in the palm of your hand 
And the last words I heard that poor boy say 
My daddy was a steel driving man

So every Monday morning 
When the blue birds sing 
You can hear John Henry for a mile or more 
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring