"John Henry" is the theme song from the 2000 Disney animated short of the same name. As the theme song of the short film, it is played four times throughout the short, where John Henry helps the railroad industry.
The song was also performed in the Tokyo Disneyland attraction Splash Mountain in the line queue.
Lyrics[]
Wonderful (Wonderful)
Marvelous (Marvelous)
A man with the strength of many (Yes, he was)
Brave and bold with a heart of gold (John)
John Henry was a mighty man (Mighty man)
Born with a hammer right in his hand (Oh, oh...)
Polly: Well, a-come on, John
You're the one that we're depending on
Swing that hammer with all your might
I know you can show 'em how to do it right
Chorus: Hoo, sha
(heard in background)
Thomas: John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a mighty man
Born with a hammer
Male Singer: A 10-pound hammer
Male Baritone Singer: A 20-pound hammer right in his hand
Female Singer: I heard John's mama liked to sew at night
So he pulled down the moon for a little bit of light
Male Singer: It took a lot of cookin' to keep John fed
Male Baritone Singer: Ten dozen eggs and eight loaves of bread
Chorus: John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a mighty man
Born with a hammer, born with a hammer
Born with a hammer right in his hand
Worker: He plowed the earth so wide and deep
Female Singer: The seed he sowed the ground had to keep
Male Singer: His hammer hit the earth with such a mighty blow
Everything he planted would jump up and grow
Chorus: John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a powerful man
Thomas: All our lives, we've been so poor
John, let me show you what we're working for
Chorus: Canaan Land, Canaan Land (Canaan Land)
Everybody working for the Canaan Land
Home and freedom hand in hand
Workin' for the Canaan Land
Oh, movin' on down the line (John Henry)
John Henry came right on time (Now we're movin')
Movin' on down the line (Hey)
John Henry came right on time (Home and freedom)
Home and freedom hand in hand
Workin' for the Canaan Land (Yeah...)
John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a mighty man
John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a powerful man
Hoo, sha (repeat)
Steel-drivin' man
John Henry was
Steel-drivin' man
Oh, yes he was
So proud defiant, a gentle giant
A steel-drivin' natural man
Polly: Well, a-come on, John
You're the one that we're depending on
Swing that hammer, bust that rock
Come on, give it everything you've got
Chorus: John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a mighty man
Born with a hammer, born with a hammer
Born with a hammer right in his hand
Background Singers: John and the drill made the valley shake
Rumblin' almost caused an earthquake
Thunder and lightning was everywhere
Oh, Lord, that battle was beyond compare
Chorus: John Henry, John Henry
John Henry is a powerful man
Born with a hammer, born with a hammer
Born with a hammer right in his hand
