How did the “John Henry” song originally come to be?
SRN: Based on interviews done in the 1920s, either Cal Evans, a roundhouse cook, or an unnamed water boy transmitted the story and composed the song around 1875-1880. AP: How did the man become the legend? SRN: Railroad track liners used the song to remind others to work slowly and preserve themselves. In the early part of the 20th century, folklore scholars discovered the song. They said, “He must have been 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide, just a huge man.” So he became a folklore relic, even though he was actually very short—5-feet-1 and a quarter, the perfect size for making tunnels. AP: In what ways has the story of John Henry been revised and used at different times by different groups? SRN: In the 1930s, the Communist Party decided he represented the plight of workers fighting against capitalism. Black men and women in the Harlem Renaissance sang the song, and in country music, “John Henry” was the third song Fiddlin’ John Carson recorded. White cotton mill workers latched on to the
