I was born one mornin'
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

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

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

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

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 steam drill down

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


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