Odetta - Ballad For Americans And Other American Ballads (2004) by Odetta (보컬) on maniadb.com

If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning,
I'd hammer in the evening
All over this land.
Hammer out danger,
I'd hammer out a warning,
I'd hammer out love
Between all of my brothers
All over this land.

If I had a bell,
I'd ring it in the morning,
And I'd ring it in the evening
All over this land.
Ring out danger,
I'd ring out a warning,
I'd ring out love
Between all of my brothers
All over this land.

If I had a song,
I'd sing it in the morning,
I'd sing it in the evening
All over this land.
Sing out danger,
Sing out warning,
I'd sing out love
Between all of my brothers
All over this land.

Well, I got a hammer,
I've got a bell,
And I got a song to sing
All over this land.
It's the hammer of justice,
The bell of freedom,
And my song about love
Between all of my brothers
All over this land.

You may run home for a long time,
Run on for a long time,
You may run homefor a long time,
But lemme tell you God Almighty's gonna cut you down.
Go tell that long-tongued liar,
Go tell that midnight rider,
Tell the gambler, rambler, backbiter,
Tell 'im God Almighty's gonna cut him down.
Great God Almighty! Let me tell you the news,
My head's been wet with the midnight dews.
Now I've been down on my bended knees,
Talkin' to the Man from Galilee.
My God spoke, He spoke so sweet,
I thought I heard the shuffle of angels' feet.
He put one hand on my head,
Great God Almighty! Let me tell you what He said:
"You may run on for a long time,
But let me tell you God Almighty's gonna cut you down."
You may throw a rock, hide your hand,
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man,
But sure as God has made the day and the night,
What you do in the darkwill be brought to light.
You may run and hide, slide and slide,
Try to take the mote from your neighbor's eyes,
But sure as God made the Virgin and the Pope,
What you reap, my brother, is what you sow.
You may run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time,
You may run home for for a long time,
But let me tell you God Almighty's gonna cut you down.
Go tell that long-tongued liar,
Go tell that midnight rider,
Tell the gambler, rambler, backbiter,
Tell them God Almighty's gonna cut him down.
Some people go to church just to signify,
Try to make a date with his neighbor's wife,
But, neighbor, let me tell you, just as sure as you're born,
You better leave that woman, well, yuh leave her alone.
Now one of these days, you just mark my words,
You'll think the brother is a-gone to work,
Now you'll wake up, a knock on the door,
That's all, brother, you'll knock no more.
Go tell that long-tongued liar,
Go tell that midnight rider,
Tell the gambler, rambler, backbiter,
Tell 'im God Almighty's gonna cut him down.

Was a maid in a garden,
Strange young man came riding by,
Said, "Fair maid, will you marry me?"
This then, sir, was her reply.

"Oh no, kind sir, I cannot marry thee,
For I've a love who sails along the sea.
He's been gone for seven years,
Still he will return to me."

"What if he's in some battle slain,
Or drownded in the deep salt sea?
Or what if he's found another love,
He and his love both married be?"

"If he's in some battle slain,
Then I shall die when the moon doth wain.
And if he's drownded in the deep salt sea,
I am true to his memory.

"And if he's found another love,
And he and his love both married be,
I wish them health and happiness
Where they live across the sea."

Well, he picked her up in his arms so strong,
And kisses gave her one, two, three,
Saying, "Come, my love, come with me,
I am your long lost John Riley."
Saying "Come, my love, come to me,
I'm your long lost John Riley."

John Henry was a little baby,
Sittin; on his momma's knee,
Said, "The Big Bend Tunnel on the C & O Road
Is gonna be the death of me, Lord,
Be the death of me."

When John Henry was a little baby,
Sittin' on his poppa's knee,
He took a hammer, a little piece of steel,
Said, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer's gonna be the death of me."

John Henry had a little woman,
Her name was Mary Magdalene.
Every day she would sing for John Henry
Just to hear his hammer when it swing, Lord,
Just to hear his hammer when it swing.

And now the captain he says to John Henry,
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill round,
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on the job,
"I'm gonna whop that steel on down."

John Henry said to his captain,
"I know a man ain't nothin' but a man,
But before I'll let your steam drill beat me down,
I'll die with my hammer in my hand, Lord,
I'll die with my hammer in my hand.

John Henry said to his shaker,
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
And now I'm throwin' forty pounds from my hip on down,
Listen to the cold steel ring, Lawdy, Lawdy,
Listen to the cold steel ring."

John Henry said to his captain,
"Looky yonder what I see--
Steam drill broke, your hole done choke,
You can't drive steel like me, Lord,
You can't drive steel like me."

John Henry a-workin' on the mountain,
Hammer was a-strikin' fire,
But he worked so hard it broke his poor heart,
He laid down his hammer and he died, Lawdy,
He lad down his hammer and he died.

Now momma's gonna shoe my pretty little feet,
Poppy gonna glove my hand,
Sister gonna kiss my red, ruby lips,
I don't need no man, Lawdy, Lawdy,
Not after my steel-drivin' man, Lawdy, Lawdy,
Not after my steel-drivin' man.

Hush-a-bye,
Don't you cry,
Go to sleepy, little baby.
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little horses.
Blacks and bays,
Dapples and grays,
All the pretty little horses.

Way down yonder
In the meadow
Lies my poor little babe.
Bees and butterflies
A-peckin' on its eyes.
Poor little thing is cryin', "Mammy."
Blacks and bays,
Dapples and grays,
All the pretty little horses.

Got sleepy, little baby.
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little horses.

Paul and Silas locked in jail,
Didn't have no one to go their bail.
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Keep your hand on the plow, well, hold on.

Mary weeped and Martha moaned,
Gabriel stood up and blowed his horn.
Ya keep your hand on the plow, well, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Keep your hand on the plow, well, hold on.

If I could only stand on the rock,
If I could only stand on the rock,
I'd keep my hand on the plow, well, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Keep your hand on the plow, well, hold on.

Paul and Silas locked in jail,
They didn't have no one to go their bail.
Ya keep your hand on the plow, well hold on, hold on, hold on.
Keep your hand on the plow and hold on.
Keep your hand on the plow and hold on.

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,
A long way from home, a long way from home.

Sometimes I feel like I'm almost done,
Sometimes I feel like I'm almost done,
Sometimes I feel like I'm almost done,
And a long, long way from home, a long way from home.

True believer,
True believer,
A long, long way from home,
A long, long way from home.