Masterpieces of American Literature
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John Henry
Chain-gang Version

Folk Heroes have various origins.  The first American type of these heroes was based upon historical persons and events.  The classic cases are those of Captain John Smith of Jamestown colony along with, of course, Pocahontas; George Washington; Paul Revere; Daniel Boone. Other folk heroes often arise from literary origins such as Rip Van Winkle, Ichabod Crane, and Nathaniel Bumpo (Hawkeye or the Deerslayer).  Then there are those heroes whose origins remain somewhat uncertain.  John Henry is one of these. Was he just a song responding to expansion west or industrialization of the U. S. or an invention of an unknown songster.  John Henry's legends are important for various reasons.  One is that John Henry is the first common man to become a hero, a legend for his own deeds.  He was also poor. Another is that John Henry is the first African-American elevated to such status.  It was the first sign that America was beginning to accept African-Americans into the previously all white mainstream culture. This made possible future Heroes of common origins to come forth, like Zorro, the Cisco Kid, Sacagawea, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill -- even outlaw 'heroes' like Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Machine Gun Kelly.  Finally -- and most importantly, we need to remember that there is no authorized or definitive version of the story. The story, the song belong to us.
Download John Henry: Chain-gang Version

The legend of John Henry is also one of the first Folk Heroes based upon song lyrics rather than prose.  English has this tradition going back at least to ballads of Robin Hood attributed to Alan A'Dale, perhaps to the old Anglo Saxon bards of the Dark Ages.  The variations of musical genres (and texts of course) is varied and wonderous.  The You Tube links below illustrate how deeply the John Henry legend embeds itself into our folk lore and literature. Notice the different genres.
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                                                  Western                                                                                                     Rock and Roll   
                                              Calypso                                                                                              Sea Shanty                                                  
                              Classical Concert Choir                                                                                     Blue Grass
                                     Rhythm and Blues                                                                                       Country
                                           Jazz                                                                        Classical Symphonic Orchestra
                                     Bluegrass-Rap Mix                                                                Children's Sing Along
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  • Home
    • What is STORY
    • The Elements of Fiction
    • What Is A Short Story
    • Literary Theory Guide
  • Lit. 214
    • Class Presentations
  • Colonial Period
    • Native American >
      • Red Jacket's Speech
      • Story Collections
      • Lyrics, Poems and Chants
    • Spanish Explorers
    • Early Colonial >
      • New England Primer
      • Anne Bradstreet
      • Mary Rowlandson
      • John Winthrop
      • John Smith
      • Colonial Song Lyrics
    • Colonial and Revolutionary >
      • Readings >
        • Ben Franklin >
          • Advice on the Choice of a Mistress
          • Excerpts from The Autobiography
          • A Tale
        • Phyllis Wheatly >
          • Poems
        • Thomas Paine >
          • Common Sense
        • Philip Freneau >
          • Freneau Poems
        • Thomas Jefferson >
          • Writings
        • Jupiter Hammon >
          • An Evening Thought
      • Lyrics
  • Romantic Period
    • Elements of American Romanticism
    • Authors >
      • Washington Irving >
        • Irving's Place >
          • Irving's Place2
        • Irving on the Tale
        • Rip Van Winkle
        • Rip 2
        • Rip 3
        • Poetry
      • James Fenimore Cooper >
        • LOTH Silent Movie
        • Chapter 32
        • Chapter 32 B
      • Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. >
        • Selected Poems
      • Ralph Waldo Emerson >
        • Selected Writings
        • Transcendentalism
      • Edgar Allen Poe >
        • Poe's Approach to Fiction
        • Life of Poe
        • Selected Poems
        • "The Raven"
        • The Black Cat
        • The Tell-Tale Heart
      • William Cullen Bryant >
        • Bryants Poems
      • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow >
        • Selected Poetry
      • Margaret Fuller
      • Fanny Fern
      • Herman Melville >
        • Moby Dick
      • Nathaniel Hawthorne >
        • Scarlett Letter Excepts
        • Young Goodman Brown
      • C. Clement Moore
    • Lyrics >
      • Folk / Gospel
      • Parlor Music
      • Music Hall
      • Stephen Foster >
        • Music
      • George Root
  • Civil War Period
    • 1850 - 1861 >
      • Harriet Anne Jacobs
      • Francis Harper
      • Frederick Douglass
      • Songs of Protest, Freedom, Sadness
    • 1861 - 1866 >
      • Julie Ward Howe
      • Emily Dickinson
      • Walt Whitman >
        • Excerpts
      • Abraham Lincoln
      • Louisa May Alcott
      • Misc. Poets
      • Warriors & Memoirs
    • Civil War Songs