I was born one morning
The rain a pourin’ down
Heard my mammy say to my pappy
Let’s call him John Henry Brown

Walk on boy walk on down the road
Ain’t nobody in this whole wide world
A-gonna help you carry your load

I left my mammy and pappy
Just about the age of ten
Lord I got me a job a workin’ on the levee
Totin’ water for the hard workin’ men

One day my pappy told me
Some advice I wanna give to you
Son find a good woman be good to her
Ah she’s gonna be good to you

If anyone should ever ask you
Just who is that fella Brown
You can tell him I’m the boy who left his hammer smokin’
Where he beat that ol’ steam drill down

[1m] I was born one [5⁷] morning
The [1m] rain a pourin’ [5⁷] down
[1m] Heard my mammy [^b3] say to my [^b6] pappy
Let’s [5⁷] call him John [4m] Henry [1m] Brown

[1m] Walk on boy walk on down the [5⁷] road
[1m] Ain’t nobody in this [^b3] whole wide [^b6] world
A-gonna [5⁷] help you [4m] carry your [1m]load

I left my mammy and pappy
Just about the age of ten
Lord I got me a job a workin’ on the levee
Totin’ water for the hard workin’ men

One day my pappy told me
Some advice I wanna give to you
Son find a good woman be good to her
Ah she’s gonna be good to you

If anyone should ever ask you
Just who is that fella Brown
You can tell him I’m the boy who left his hammer smokin’
Where he beat that ol’ steam drill down