THINKING MAN, JOHN HENRY

Questions?
Song Title
THINKING MAN, JOHN HENRY
Writers
Gibson, Camp
Publisher
MELODY TRAILS, INC. (BMI)
% Publisher Controls
100%
Territory Controlled
WORLD EX. US
Themes/Keywords
1960's, Aging, Baby, Blues, Science, Smart, Story, Talk
Lyrics
When John Henry was a little baby,
He was sittin’ on his mommy’s knee.
He picked up a slide rule and a book on mathematics
Sayin’ “Thinking’s gonna be the job for me.”
Said, “Thinking’s gonna be the job for me.”
(talking blues style) Yes, sir, though John Henry
Was just a little bitty, bitty, bitty baby,
(Just a little thinker) he decided that when he growed up,
He was gonna be a thinkin’ man (with a filter)
Yes, sir, so he went to school for it,
Studied all about algebra and thinkin’,
Geometry and thinkin’, trigonometry and thinkin’,
Calculus and thinkin’, accountant.
Had a little trouble with English though.
Grammar’s gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord,
Grammar’s gonna be the death of me.
(spoken) I tell you Greek kind-a threw him there, too.
Homer’s gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord,
Homer’s gonna be the death of me. (Jethro too).
(talking blues style) Yes, sir, that’s what old John Henry did.
Went to school and became a very, very competent thinker
Which is unusual.
Went out into the business world where they do a lot of heavy thinkin’
And got a job as a thinkin’ man.
For a while he was with the Chicago Tribune
Thinkin’ up a thought for the day.
Then for a time he had a job workin’ with the weather bureau
Thinkin’ up girl’s names for hurricanes;
He was thinkin’ up a storm, I’ll tell you.
For a while he had a job with the atomic energy commission
Thinkin’ up bombs;
And for a while he had a job writing our comedy material
Makin’ up bombs.
You know, for a while he was with the federal government
Thinkin’ up excuses.
It was a big job, I tell you.
Well, one day they brung an efficiency expert around on the job
And he figured out John Henry’s fringe benefits
And he hollered out:
Well, the expert said to John Henry,
“I’m goin’ to bring me a computer down,
I’m gonna bring me a computer and an I.B.M. machine,
Cybernetics gonna put the answer down.
Computers help to keep the payroll down.
Well, now the man who invited the computer
Was from a place called M. I. T.
He punched out cards and tapes by the yards
Hummin’ Nearer my God to Thee.
Hummin’ Nearer my God to Thee.

Well, John Henry said to the inventor (what did he say)
He said, “Your tunes don’t mean a damn.
All your wires and your circuits on the integer of two,
Are never gonna beat a thinkin’ man,
Are never gonna beat a thinkin’ man.”

(talking blues style)
So it was proposed that John Henry and the computer had a race.
The inventor punched out a card for the computer.
John Henry stepped into the isolation booth.
Ralph Edwards read him his question.

John Henry started into thinkin’
‘Til his head was cherry red.
There was smoke from his ears
And his eyes poured tears
And he thunk ‘til his brain dropped dead,
(think, thank, thunk)
Thunk ‘til his brain dropped dead.

(talking blues)
And that’s the sad and awful fate of John Henry.
Pitiful, pitiful, couldn’t stop thinking.
Twisted him all up.

They took John Henry to the bughouse
But still the legend grows.
Now no one’s ever heard John Henry say a word,
He’s just sittin’ there smilin’ like he knows.

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