Comments on: And her name was Polly Ann

Question: And her name was Polly Ann

Pants! — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:05:55 -0800

I'm looking for as many different recordings or versions of John Henry as possible (ie Johnny Cash at Folsom). I'd like to get dozens of copies of this song sung in different ways or by different people. The more obscure the better, but don't assume that I know about a common recording.

By: marxchivist

marxchivist — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:10:10 -0800

Have you seen this page? Be sure to check out the Smothers Brothers version if you aren't aware of it.

By: box

box — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:21:57 -0800

You've probably seen it already, but Allmusic might also be helpful.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:34:44 -0800

Here's a MeFi thread about John Henry.

By: drew3d

drew3d — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:34:53 -0800

eMusic is great for this sort of thing. A search reveals there are nearly 300 tracks by that name available there. You have to subscribe to download the full tracks, but you can listen to 30-second snippets without a subscription by clicking the speaker icon. eMusic won't have every version, but it will definitely have lots of obscure versions, and you won't have to pay $1/track for them.

By: jlowen

jlowen — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:37:42 -0800

My favorite is Big Bill Broonzy with Sonny Terry on harmonica. I just like hearing grown men go "WOoOoO" alot.

By: Gable Oak

Gable Oak — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:51:56 -0800

My favorite version is from Joe Jencks on the "Rise as One" CD. It's a live album of labor music-- very inspiring stuff.

By: ORthey

ORthey — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:53:56 -0800

The Smothers Brothers do an amusing take on the song that I used to love as a kid.

By: clockwork

clockwork — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:10:57 -0800

I'm partial to John Fahey's version which appears on the album Legend of Bind Joe Death. Fahey recorded the same album several times and the current release of this album collects several different versions of the same songs together. I like the 1967 version. Fahey, being the card that he was, puts a fadeout in the middle of the song where John Henry enters the tunnel. The music fades back in when he reaches the other side. The

By: aladfar

aladfar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:16:16 -0800

Seconding eMusic. I did the same thing with "Rock Island Line" and found about a dozen matches. Listening to radically different interpretations of a traditional folk tune is endlessly fascinating (well, to me anyway).

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:23:43 -0800

Springsteen did a great version on the Seeger Sessions CD

By: pupdog

pupdog — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:39:41 -0800

It's in both of the lists linked above, but I've always loved Doc Watson's takes.

By: Ian A.T.

Ian A.T. — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:56:37 -0800

In an early Simpsons episode--first season, maybe--Bart is forced to sing "John Henry" as punishment on a field trip.

By: one_bean

one_bean — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:00:49 -0800

Also in the link, but the Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry one is amazing.

By: ubiquity

ubiquity — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:19:16 -0800

Harry Belafonte sings a great version, especially on his Live at Carnegie Hall allbum.

By: jlowen

jlowen — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:37:58 -0800

Oops.. One_bean got it right. My favorite is Brownie McGhee (not Big Bill Broonzy) with Sonny Terry. But the WoOing part still stands.

By: eritain

eritain — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:01:50 -0800

The Wayfaring Strangers (Matt Glaser's American group, not the folk duo from across the Atlantic) did John Henry on Live at the Somerville Theater. Used to be a freebie on their website, but the site appears to be down.