The ToneWay® Project: helping people play music


Nine Pound Hammer [core]

This nine pound hammer is just a little too heavy
Buddy, for my size, Buddy, for my size

Chorus
Roll on, buddy, don't you roll so slow
Buddy, how can I roll, when the wheels won't go

There ain't a hammer in this here tunnel
That rings like mine, that rings like mine

Rings like silver, shines like gold
Rings like silver, shines like gold

Somebody stole my nine pound hammer
They took it and gone, they took it and gone

I went up on the mountain just to see my honey
And I ain't coming back, No I ain't coming back

This nine pound hammer, it killed John Henry
Ain't a-gonna kill me, Ain't a-gonna kill me

Available in these books:

Get Started Plus:
Core Songs Edition
100 songs and our acclaimed play-by-ear learning method.
Big Print Songs
Over 200 songs.
Both books feature large-print lyrics (20-point type) and include chords, historical info, jamming hints, and more.

...and on these CDs:

Five CDs, 100 songs. Recordings from the Abbott family and their friends.
Listen to sample tracks.

The MP3 collection has all 100 songs on one CD for a discount. See details.


A song from the Mountain Music for Everyone Song Collection from the ToneWay Project. Our website has lyrics to nearly 400 traditional songs common in bluegrass and old-time circles. Most songs also include a free MP3 recording that you can listen to. The ToneWay Project also offers songbooks, CDs, and resources for learning to play music by ear. http://ToneWay.com