Topic: Arvella Gray Lyrics

[Blues Vintage]

John Henry


EDITED TO ADD: for the definitive transcription of this song please scroll down to the 3rd reply.


Epic seven minute plus version of John Henry. Guitar position - vestapol, Open E? I can't hear/understand some parts.


Arvella Gray - Vocals, Guitar

Chicago, Illinois
May 16, 1964





INTRO

Well, the foreman said to John Henry, he said, what can you do? I can line a track and carry a jack, I can pickin’ shovel, Lord Lord, can pickin’ shovel too
Now, John Henry said to the foreman, he says a man ain’t nothing but a man, ‘fore that steam drill beat me down, he says I die with the hammer in my hand, Lord Lord, die with the hammer in my hand
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, John Henry was railroad man

INTERLUDE

Well, John Henry said to the captain, captain how can that be? You got 49 men on your job but you hurry nobody but me, Lord Lord, but you hurry nobody but me
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, Lord Lord, Henry was railroad man

Now, John Henry, hammered in the mountain, a long ‘bout half past ten, you could hear his hammer ringin’, you could hear it singing in the wind, Lord Lord, hear it singing in the wind

Well, John Henry said to Shaker, he says you better pray, if I miss a little piece of steel tomorrow be your buryin’ day, Lord Lord, be your buryin’ day
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man

INTERLUDE

Well, John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, Lord Lord, Henry was railroad man
Now, John Henry had a little wife, her name was Polly Ann, when John Henry was sick down in his bed, she drove steel like a natural man, Lord Lord, drove steel like a natural man

Well, John Henry had a little wife, she began to sing, said you don’t have to worry, as long as I can make this hammer ring, Lord Lord, long as I can make this hammer ring
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, John Henry was a railroad man

INTERLUDE

Says it, where did you get your pretty little shoes, woman, your dress so fine, got the shoes of a Maxwell, I got the dress of a Holsters, Lord Lord, got the dress of a Holsters now
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, John Henry was a railroad man

Peckwood pecker, wood woodpecker, what make your head so red, been working on the levee, and the sun done burn in my head, Lord Lord, sun done burn in my head
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, Lord Lord

INTERLUDE

Well, John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, Lord Lord, Henry was a steel drivin’ man
Now, John Henry went to his woman’s house, {Tolliver} turned down the ?, says he was sick and he had laid down, he had a might hurt ? his head, Lord Lord,
might hurt ? his head

Now, John Henry died up in the mountain, they buried him in the clay, last word I heard him say, always let your woman have her way, Lord Lord, always let your woman have her way
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, John Henry was a railroad man

INTERLUDE

Says it, who gonna buy your pretty little shoes, woman, who gonna buy your clothes, who gonna kiss your rose little cheeks, and who’s gonna be your man, Lord Lord, who’s gonna be your man

Well, my mama gonna buy my pretty little shoes, papa gonna buy my clothes, brother gonna kiss my rose little cheeks, and I ain’t gonna have a no man, Lord Lord, ain’t gonna have a no man
Yes, John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, John Henry was a railroad man

INTERLUDE

Well, John Henry had a little wife, and the dress she wore was red, and down the railroad track and she never looked back, she says I’m goin’ where my man fell dead, Lord Lord, goin’ where my man fell dead
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, Lord Lord, Henry was a railroad man

OUTRO

[Blues Vintage]

Johnm, how would you lay-out this transcription? For easier to read purposes and/or official rules? 

[waxwing]

It’s probably “pick ‘n‘ shovel”. First, you use a pick to break up hard ground, then you use a shovel to load it into a wheelbarrow and cart it away, which maybe someone else does with a mule. I can pick and shovel.

Wax

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
I try to transcribe blues lyrics in four-bar phrases, since that is how most blues lyrics, though certainly not all, work out--eight-bar, twelve-bar or sixteen-bar blues. I'll try to phrase the Arvella Gray "John Henry" with that guideline in mind here. The last line of each verse is a little tag, a partial repetition of the preceding line, and is short, not four bars in length but two. I'm hearing "John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, John Henry was a railroad man" in it's various versions as a refrain separate from the verses.

INTRO SOLO

Well the foreman said to John Henry, he said, "What can you do". "I can
Line a track and carry a jack, I can pick and shovel, Lord, Lord,
Can pick and shovel, too."

Now John Henry said to the foreman, he says, "A man ain't nothin' but a man.
'Fore that steam drill beat me down," he says, "I die with the hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord,
Die with the hammer in my hand."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, John Henry was a railroad man

SOLO

Well, John Henry said to the captain, "Captain, how can that be? You've got
Forty-nine men on your job, but you hurry nobody but me, Lord, Lord, but you
Hurry nobody but me."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord, Henry was a railroad man

Now John Henry, hammered in the mountain, a long 'bout half past ten, you could
Hear his hammer ringin', you could hear it singin' in the wind, Lord, Lord,
Hear it singin' in the wind

Well, John Henry said to his shaker, he says, "You better pray.
If I miss a-this piece of steel, tomorrow be your buryin' day, Lord, Lord,
Be your buryin' day."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man (guitar finishes refrain)

SOLO

Well, John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord, Henry was a railroad man

Now John Henry had a little wife, her name was Polly Ann, when John
Henry was sick down in his bed, she drove steel like a natural man, Lord, Lord,
Drove steel like a natural man

Well, John Henry had a little wife, she began to sing, said,
"You don't have to worry, as long as I can make this hammer ring, Lord, Lord, long as
I can make this hammer ring."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, John Henry was a railroad man

SOLO

Says, "It's where did you get your pretty little shoes, woman, your dress so fine? "Got the
Shoes off of Maxwell, I got the dress off of Halster's, Lord, Lord, got the
Dress off of Halster's now."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, John Henry was a railroad man

Peckerwood, peckerwood, woodpecker, what make your head so red? "Been
Workin' on the levee, and the sun done burned [pronounced bur-ned] my head, Lord, Lord,
Sun done burned my head."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord (guitar finishes refrain)

SOLO

Well, John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord, Henry was a steel-drivin' man

Now, John Henry went to his woman's house, told her to turn down her bed, says
He was sick and he had to lay down, he had a mighty hurtin' in his head, Lord, Lord,
Mighty hurtin' in his head

Now John Henry died up in the mountain, they buried him in the clay
Last word I heard him say, "Always let your woman have her way, Lord, Lord, always
Let your woman have her way."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, John Henry was a railroad man

INTERLUDE

Says, "It's who gonna buy your pretty little shoes, woman, who gonna buy your clothes?
Who gonna kiss your rosy little cheeks, and who's gonna be your man, Lord, Lord,
Who's gonna be your man?"

"Well, my mama gonna buy my pretty little shoes, papa gonna buy my clothes,
Brother gonna kiss my rosy little cheeks and I ain't gonna have-a no man, Lord, Lord,
Ain't gonna have-a no man."

Yes, John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, John Henry was a railroad man

SOLO

Well, John Henry had a little wife, and the dress she wore was red. And down the
Railroad track, and she never looked back,  she says, "I'm goin' where my man fell dead, Lord, Lord,
Goin' where my man fell dead."

John Henry was a steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord, Henry was a railroad man

CODA

Edited 10/8 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm   
 
 

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Wax for "pick and shovel".

Thanks John for the explanation and improvements.

Here are my suggestions for your transcription:

There's a Lord, Lord in the John Henry line after the captain verse

There's a SOLO before the Maxwell and Halster's verse

Verse 10
Well, -now- John Henry went to his woman's house
He was sick and -he- had to lay down

[Johnm]

Thanks for those catches, Blues Vintage. I have made all the changes you suggested. I just added the transcription to Weeniepedia, which now has 37 different versions of "John Henry" transcribed in its Song Family page. How abut that!

[Blues Vintage]

Have Mercy Mister Percy


That's a lot of verses.


Arvella Gray - Vocals, Guitar

Chicago, Illinois
May 16, 1964





INTRO

Say, getting late over in the evening, feel like blowin’ my horn
Say, getting late over in the evening, feel like blowin’ my horn
Say, when I woke up this mornin’, all I had was gone

Says, I’m goin’ to heaven, gonna, set down on a stool
Says, I’m goin’ to heaven, gonna, set down on a stool
Says, I’m ask poor Moses to, “Play me the walkin’ blues”

Says, I started to heaven, Lord, but I changed my mind
Says, I started to heaven, Lord, but I changed my mind
Says, I’m a stay right here, where I can have better time (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)

Says, I play short deuces, and it’s fours and five
Says, I play short deuces, and it’s fours and five
Says, I draw cold water from the poor boy's eye

Now, when you lose your money, partner, please don’t lose your mind
Say, when you lose your money, partner, please don’t lose your mind
Say, when you lose your woman, say, please don’t bother mine (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)

Now, you can always tell when your, woman don’t want you around
Say, you can always tell when your, woman don’t want you around
She got her head tied up, said her, bed turned upside down (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)

Now, when your left eye jump and your, flesh begin to crawl
Now, when your left eye jump and your, flesh begin to crawl
Say, you can tell by that your woman, in another man’s arms

SOLO

Says, press my jumper, iron my overhaul
Says it, press my jumper, baby, iron my overhaul
So I can get ready, baby, catch that cannonball

Say, what make that rooster, crow by the dawn of day
Say, what make that rooster, crow by the dawn of day
Say, let the sweet man know that the, working man gone away (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)

Say, don’t the moon look pretty when it, shining down through them tree
Say, don’t the moon look pretty when it, shining down through them tree
Says, I can see my woman, but she can’t see me

Says, I’ll believe I go, ‘cause I, don’t feel welcome here
Says, I’ll believe I go, baby, ‘cause I, don’t feel welcome here
Says, this ain’t my home and I, sure don’t have to stay

SOLO

Now, when a woman take the blues she, hang her head and cry
Say, when a woman take the blues she, hang her head and cry
Say, when a man take the blues he, hops in his car and ride (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)

Now, it’s T for Texas, T for Tennessee
Say, it’s T for Texas, T for Tennessee
Says, it’s T for that woman, say, made a fool out of me

Says, I rather drink muddy water, baby, sleep in a hollow log (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)
Says, I rather drink muddy water, baby, sleep in a hollow log
Say, to stay there, baby to, be your lowdown dog

SOLO (Spoken: Hear landlady, bring me half of pint, and a eye-dropper, I’m gonna give all of my friends a drink, say I told you if you come go with me you’d have a ball, now let’s get the blues)

Now, a song like this, said baby, bring back memory
Says, a song like this, baby, bring back memory
Say, make me think about old time my, old time used-to-be

Now, let me be your side track, baby, ‘til your main line come
Say, let me be your side track, baby, ‘til your main line come
Say, don’t tell your mainline, what your side track done done

SOLO

Now, it’s me and my partner, and my partner’s friend (Spoken: Have Mercy, Mister Percy)  #
Says, it’s me and my partner, and my partner’s friend
Say, we can pick more cotton, in a gin can gin

Says, I hate to see that, evening sun go down
Says, I hate to see that, evening sun go down
Say, it put me on a wander, make me want to go

OUTRO


# Gray misspeaks "Percy" for "Partner" en corrects himself quickly

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage
I've got a few places where I'm hearing things differently in "Have Mercy, Mister Percy". Here goes:

   1.3 Say, when I . . . .

   2.1, 2.2 . . . set down on a stool

   4.1, 4.2 Says I play short deuces . . . . 
   4.3 . . . poor boy's eye

   6.3 . . . said her, . . . .

   8.1, 8.2 . . . iron my overhaul
   
   10.1, 10.2 . . . when it, . . . .

   11.3 . . . and I, sure don't have to stay

   14.3 . . baby, just, be your low-down dog

   15.1, 15.2 . . . a song like this, . . . .
   15.3 . . . old-time, my, . . . .

   17.3 . . . than a gin can gin

   

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks John, I made almost a your changes. Except 14.3.
I hesitate about 17.3

Is there a 12 bar blues with more verses (18)? Probably there is.
Curley Weaver's "Ticket Agent" had 17 verses but that was a 8 bar Blues.