John Henry - Spirit of the Working Man - American - Extra Mythology

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John Henry is a myth that embodies a lot of America. From the story of hard work and the working man overcoming the cold unfeeling steel of machinery; to its bitter history of exploiting marginalized people and infrastructure built on the bodies of those literally worked to death. As in a lot of Americana, the line between the historical figure and the mythical hero is blurry at best, if not entirely indistinguishable. What does the story of John Henry mean to you?
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[@kf23155]

Fun fact: in some versions of the song, it's said that thunder and lightning are actually John Henry still driving steel in heaven!

[@Combes_]

Either he's making Heaven a railroad, or someone needs to tell him to take a break

[@bigghomie24]

That would be some bs if you still have to work in heaven lol

[@Postaldude505]

​@@bigghomie24 maybe he enjoys it

[@starpokeheart664]

I believe it is also said storms travel on the rails he drove

[@alexanderkidonakis9185]

What part of that is fun

[@PaulRudd1941]

"They say, that there is one dead Chinese man for every mile of that track." -Anonymous Chinese labourer from Canadian Heritage minute: Nitro

[@DarkestKnightshade]

Yeah they forgot there were a hell of a lot of chinese immigrants who worked on the railroads.

[@tonsilromancer]

That's what they say...

[@EdricLysharae]

The Chinese did much of the work in digging the train tunnels. This, as seen in the video, was far more dangerous work.

[@PaulRudd1941]

@@EdricLysharae The reason they hired the Chinese for a 1 dollar a day is because the Irishmen would ask for 1 dollar and 50 cents. Or so the story goes...

[@GodBody-BodyofGod]

Every railroad track in the south was built by a slave

[@nickwesley3520]

John Henry said to the captain: “A man ain’t nothin but a man. But before I let your steam drill beat me down, I’ll die with a hammer in my hand”

[@poilboiler]

I heard that in the voice of Leonard Nimoy.

[@wilq6143]

That’s where that came from!! Thank you. Read it in that beautiful deep voice I’ve heard it spoken in so many times

[@pequod_]

You have discovered Steel

[@pieterfaes6263]

@@pequod_ *pling*

[@quietone610]

John Henry was workin' on the mountain / and his hammer was strikin' fire. / He struck--so--hard that he broke his poor old heart / and he laid down his hammer and he died. [Lord Lord] he laid down his hammer and he died. They took John Henry to the graveyard / and they buried him in the sand. / [and] Ev'ry Locomotive that goes rolling by goes, "There lies a steel-drivin' man." [Lord Lord] "There lies a steel-drivin' man."

[@jeffreyvalen5242]

John Henry cut through the mountain with all the exaggerated swagger of a steel-driving man.

[@reignrain4042]

lolll i get it

[@lilelbowskin3101]

Nice

[@panchohalo2158]

Nice

[@Saipan2297]

Nice

[@rafaeldavid32]

Nice

[@vittoriolepporio122]

John Henry, John Henry John Henry is a mighty man! born with a hammer, a ten pound hammer *a twenty pound Hammer* right in his hand!*

[@blacklambcta4271]

I heard John's mama liked to sew at night, So he pulled down the moon for a little bit of light. It took a lot of cooking to keep John fed,

[@vittoriolepporio122]

@@blacklambcta4271 ten dozen eggs and 8 loaves of bread!

[@mettatonbutflesh8589]

@@vittoriolepporio122 John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a mighty man. Born with a hammer, born with a hammer, Born with a hammer right in his hand. He plowed the earth so wide and deep, The seed he sowed the ground had to keep. His hammer hit the earth with such a mighty blow, Everything he planted would jump up and grow.

[@royalanempire2965]

@@mettatonbutflesh8589 John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a powerful man. All our lives we've been so poor, John let me show you what we're working for. Canaan Land, Canaan Land, Everybody workin' for the Canaan Land. Home and freedom hand in hand, Workin' for the Canaan Land.

[@amess5035]

I love everyone that keeps this song going this was the song my mom sang to me as a kid

[@ThePa1riot]

Hell yeah! As a kid I felt insecure because my country didn’t have a Hercules or a Beowulf. Then I discovered John Henry.

[@InquisitorThomas]

We also have Paul Bunyan, but he’s a bit more problematic simply because he kinda gets attributed things that the Native Americans did.

[@darealist690]

Folk tales are like American mythology

[@darealist690]

Also Johny Appleseed

[@christiaanvanstek1300]

@@darealist690 how many American myths do you know

[@darealist690]

@@christiaanvanstek1300 Like 3

[@royalpayn4089]

I remember old TV classics about this dude. "John Henry, John Henry, John Henry was a powerful man. Born with a hammer, boorn with a hammer, born with a hammer in his hand"

[@deadlydingus1138]

His poor mother.

[@themaddoctor5304]

I think I remember seeing that in elementary school.

[@Sk-gk8zq]

I bet John Henry could lift Thor's hammer

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

And tonight he feasts in Valhalla, for he died in combat.

[@jamiemetzger1403]

John Henry would definitely be worthy to wield Mjölnir.

[@scribblerstudios9895]

In accordance to Marvel's new canon, he absolutely would be able to. He knew who he was. And I think the Magnus Chase series put him as a child of Thor

[@rattvisa]

But would hor be able to weakd henry’s hammer? That that is the quesrion

[@King_Nex]

There's a DC character based on him: John Henry Irons, AKA Steel.

[@pizzaking2594]

A personal favorite interpretation of the story is that John’s hammer was forged with the chains that ounce bound him, chains that ounce held him back now help him move forward over fields and through mountains

[@cubonefan3]

That is so beautifully poetic !

[@troperhghar9898]

Polly: John we're free, you dont have to do this John: Polly, if they steal our dreams they put a chain on our souls That line always got me

[@Leron...]

Despite knowing how the story ended, few things have made me whisper "oh no!" to myself quite like McTavish sadly mumbling "It's not sundown yet..."

[@BlackIronGamer]

God damn what a sad movie

[@FeCyrineu]

From what movie is this quote?

[@troperhghar9898]

@@FeCyrineu Disney's American legends from 2001 it's an anthology film about Paul Bunyan, john Henry, Johnny Appleseed, and the brave engineer

[@scribblerstudios9895]

@@troperhghar9898 Casey Jones is the engineers name. Hope you're having a good day

[@mr.duckington4509]

love the ballads of John Henry, especially Harry Fontaine's version

[@Tommy-5684]

id recommend Who Killed John Hemery by Joe Bonnamassa a damn good track

[@7Game0ver7]

Thank you very much, as an European I've only known John Henry from the quotes in civilization and didn't knew there were Songs until watching this video and since I now don't have to watch random videos, but instead know which versions to look up. I would like to say thank you.

[@myboy5194]

I like Johnny Cash’s version

[@PulsedPower]

My personal favorite is Doc Watson’s version, Billy strings does a good rendition as well!

[@Joan1Marti]

Bruce Springsteen does a great version of it in the Seeger Sessions, and then even improves it in the album Live in Dublin. Other remarcable versions are the one from Pete Seeger himself, Johnny Cash, Henry Belafonte y Mississipy John Hurt. Big Bill Broonzie also has a very good cover of it.

[@atzistudios1375]

I learned about this tale from the Disney short Edit: thanks for the likes, this the most liked comment i made

[@artsydragon4874]

Aye, I can remember the song featured in that short.

[@JonManProductions]

John Henry, John Henry, John Henry was a mighty man! Born with a hammer! Born with a hammer right in his hand!

[@camdenkeeton2411]

Same

[@peterporker3763]

Me too

[@maxfieldjoyner5244]

Springsteen song for me.

[@draexian530]

I remember being told his story as a boy, but I'd never stopped to really reckon with what he meant to me. Thank y'all.

[@The_Mr._Biscuit]

"No! I swore I'd work myself to death by the age of 35!"

[@LegendWeaver25]

“Anything more means I didn’t work hard enough!”

[@jaskarvinmakal9174]

For me it's 30, think I've been living too safe.

[@philipkelly7369]

who are you quoting here, bud?

[@The_Mr._Biscuit]

That would be Howie Honeyglow from the KZbin miniseries "Epithet Erased."

[@Tesla6627]

Didn't expect an Epithet Erased reference here.

[@riderstrano783]

"some people say a man is made outta mud, the poor man's made outta muscle and blood, muscle and blood and skin an bone. a mind that's weak and a back that's strong"

[@Lucarioguild7]

"You load 16 tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt"

[@neiana]

@@Lucarioguild7 St. Peter don't you call me 'cuz I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store.

[@ypsilionofsoliii8556]

@@neiana *snap, snap, snap* I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine Picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine

[@riderstrano783]

@@ypsilionofsoliii8556 I loaded 16 ton, of, number 9 coal and the straw boss said “well a bless my soul”

[@epauletshark3793]

If you see me comin', better step aside A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died One fist of iron, the other of steel If the right one don't get you Then the left one will

[@midnightflare9879]

When you realize that a My Little Pony episode with an apple cider making machine was inspired by John Henry...

[@bekunasch]

That was the first thing that I thought of

[@midnightflare9879]

@Paul Calixte Oh yeah, that's a good one too!

[@bosscom6910]

Or like bender in futurama

[@saifullahhabid1133]

An episode from SpongeBob as well

[@Lisa-ol1ih]

Welp I was today years old when I realized that

[@Jmorris3265]

I remember when I was a kid we had a John Henry picture book. And before I could even read I would just flip through and look at the cool art work. It had this scene where John’s sweat became rainbows or something and it was just fantastic.

[@mrreyes5004]

*_"John and the drill_* made the valley shake! Rumblin' almost _caused an earthquake!_ _Thunder_ and _lightning_ was everywhere... Oh, Lord, that battle was *_beyond compare!"_*

[@TheKersey475]

I'd love for an action movie where a Harlem Hellfighter with a John Henry theme goes all John Wick/Rambo on the Klu Klux Klan.

[@quadeevans6484]

Oh yea i'd pay money to watch that

[@drewgenel5185]

You might want to read P. Djeli Clark’s Ring Shout. It has a similar idea but with some lovecraftian horror mixed in

[@poilboiler]

Driving klan members into the ground with a single hammer blow? Instant gold! :D

[@StephySon]

I’d be first in line for that.

[@viktorberzinsky4781]

That is exactly the sort of movie the world needs right now.

[@thevoidlookspretty7079]

Gonna be honest, I first heard this story from “Spongebob.”

[@commandertaco1762]

Same lolol

[@dreliq981]

What ep?

[@thevoidlookspretty7079]

@@dreliq981 “Spongebob versu the Patty Gadget.”

[@timurtheterrible4062]

I myself didn't do much better, I learned from a death message in Minecraft.

[@sharilshahed6106]

So this is where John Henry Irons, aka DC's superhero Steel comes from.

[@OctopusWilson]

Where did you get that idea?

[@sharilshahed6106]

@@OctopusWilson A black superhero literally named "John Henry", background is construction worker, weapon of choice is a giant hammer, debut as a superman side-character, who was another superhero inspired by mythical heroes of strength. Not enough subtelty to think otherwise.

[@nathank2289]

Uh his intruduction comic has him telling the story of John Henry to the neighbors kids

[@Qardo]

@@sharilshahed6106 Steel was also depicted as a very brilliant man. Doctorate in metallurgy and very physical strong (for a human). He was saved by Superman and in awe by him. The day Superman was reported dead. He saw it his duty to take up the mantle of being a Superman. And that is when we had the Supermen stories.

[@RedJohnO22]

I love Steel!!!

[@omkardhakephalkar2737]

"John Henry smiled at the Crawler and he said: 'Sure, you can move a lot of dirt, but let's see who gets to the Mohorovicic discontinuity first.' And he picked up his shovel and waited for the starting gun." - The Uncle Nevercloned Stories

[@timezerohour8864]

It also enjoy civ games.

[@lecommentairerandom9864]

I know John Henry because of Civilization V, his tale is quoted in the game

[@poilboiler]

And in Civ IV as well. :)

[@Grubnessul]

@@poilboiler And in Alpha Centauri when you build the Robotic Assembly Plant. :)

[@rattvisa]

From which tech was that again?

[@lecommentairerandom9864]

@@rattvisa steam engine i believe (not sure though, I am French and so playing the French version of the game)

[@Grubnessul]

@@rattvisa You need to research industrial nanorobotics and then build the robotic assembly plant. :)

[@synsvids]

I always loved this tale, along with Johnny Appleseed. And Davey Crockett.

[@stonethered]

Apparently, Davvy Crockett voted against Andrew Jackson's 1830 Indian resettlement act, y'know, the trail of tears? He lost reelection over it too.

[@JackWolf1]

As much as I love stories about ancient myths, I’d love to see more episodes covering more modern tall tales like this one. Heck, if anything, I’d really love to see an episode dedicated to the legendary Steel Worker of Pittsburgh, Joe Magarac. (He’s depicted in a lot of art, but there are very few sources about him)

[@chukola]

Never heard that one, how does it go?

[@JackWolf1]

@@chukola Long story short, he was a man of Iron (literally) who emerged from the forges of the Pensilvania Steel Mills to help out the workers by squeezing iron into ingots with bare hands, bending bars into shape, and making sure the “boiling soup” (molten iron) never spilled on any of the workers. There some smaller tales involving him, but generally his story ends when the mills run out of iron while building the bridges of Pittsburgh, and Joe melts himself down so the project can finish

[@jamescrumpler3438]

I worked in Americorps, TxCC, and as part of a trail crew we spent a lot of time in the woods. One thing we did was tell stories. I remember telling the story of John Henry to my crew while we were working. I embellished it, as all story-tellers do, but like you say, it’s important to keep telling the story.

[@agentg7227]

That story reminds me that SpongeBob episode " bobsponge v.s the patty machine"

[@1BlueYoshi]

I think that episode is a direct reference to this story

[@juanferrer5924]

Pretty much every modern man vs machine story comes from John Henry

[@barbiquearea]

Or the Catdog episode where Cat invents a remote control drone that could take people's trash on garbage day far faster than a guy on a regular garbage truck.

[@agentg7227]

@@juanferrer5924 make sense

[@nitesy381]

Cold the air and water flowing

[@triggerstudios3815]

Its been so long since I heard this tale and im happy its back in my head

[@merry_madness4826]

I've been watching the streams and vids for a while now and I just wanted to thank you guys, you've really helped me through quarantine, your awesome

[@TimesChu]

It's astonishing that this video comes out literally the morning after I decide John Henry would be the perfect subject for a work song.

[@capnandy462]

This is an interesting version of the story. The way I always heard it told, they drove in the railroad spikes and the competition was to spike a certain length of rail, John Henry on one side and the machine on the other. John Henry wins, but the machine doesn’t break.

[@lamwen03]

All the versions of the song I've heard mention a 'shaker', the man who held the drill bit and rotated it.

[@DeHerg]

The version you describe would at least make sense, for there to be a competition(because such a machine would threaten their livelihood). The story presented above, on the contrary, is just dumb. A steam-DRILL would not threaten their work, it would just do the one part of the job the workers dreaded (because of the much higher risk).

[@robertzarfas9556]

John Henry is my all time favorite legend. I tear up ever time I hear it.

[@Wesllyn_]

Remember learning about this in school

[@davidegaruti2582]

Ah yes , instead of idk , history before the 1700 , or philosophy afther the 1600 ...

[@Wesllyn_]

This wasn’t all we learned about

[@Wesllyn_]

In elementary school

[@jonmarkherrscher7315]

"The endless miles of railroad track" The union makes us strong 💪

[@InvasionAnimation]

John henry is the man we are all going to need to be due to automation.

[@LaceNWhisky]

Work ourselves to death? I'd rather be re-train as a technician maintaining automation, or be free for more creative endeavors.

[@vylbird8014]

@@LaceNWhisky It's a nice idea, but the numbers don't add up. Remember that the automation is introduced because it saves money - so the wages of those it displaces will always be greater than the wages of those needed to maintain it. The effect of automation is to replace a large number of low-skill jobs with a much smaller number of high-skill jobs. Sure, you can re-train.. but everyone else who sees their job vanish is going to be doing the same thing, and there won't be enough jobs to go around.

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

@@vylbird8014 psst, universal basic income can rectify this,*slithers away*

[@alphayun7401]

i mean technically speaking everything is automation, even the human body, its a series of carbon based mechanisms, and in a world of computers and technology, things are based on silicon, now imagine if you change silicon to carbon, you have made a machine based on the material we are made of

[@InvasionAnimation]

As an american I respectfully say, that universal basic income is not likely to happen hear.

[@OllerHaha]

"When John Henry was a little pity boy, sittin' on his momma's knee, he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel, said "This hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, this hammer's gonna be the death of me."

[@jamiemetzger1403]

Thank you for this story. I always loved the story of John Henry as a child. Even though I am not a person of color, I have always been inspired by his perseverance and kindness.

[@tammygant4216]

Inspiration isn't limited to race or gender.

[@nannerhannah3268]

I remember learning about john henry in school, we were going over American myths and legends. John henry was always my favorite, and no one seems to tell this but he worked with irish too. I remember my teacher telling us about how it wasn't just African-Americans treated poorly but other groups too. Now it seems people run past it.

[@glasseskun]

This gave me mad flashbacks to Disney's American Legends. Good stuff, Extra Mythology

[@foam3132]

Hey Extra Credit, do you know where I can read about ashanti myths that aren't about anansi

[@AndyG94]

My favorite American tale 🥲

[@merry_madness4826]

it says you commented this 16 hours ago, lol

[@nihalthechef8927]

How did you get so early

[@christiaanvanstek1300]

And the only

[@spartanx9293]

@@christiaanvanstek1300 the only what

[@spartanx9293]

@@user-biscut I disagree on paul bunyan (what do you have against a giant lumberjack and his big blue ox)

[@IAmTheAce5]

Suddenly, I'm getting Paul Bunyan flashbacks

[@Kite403]

Amid all the crap that i've suffered in this country, John Henry's legend still rings as bright as the first day I heard about it

[@XaurielZ]

Real moral of the story: the problems caused by loss of jobs to automation are social in origin and not inevitable

[@AbsolXGuardian]

Yep. If the workers wouldn't have lost their livelyhood without their jobs, the railroad could have gone forward and they could have turned their efforts to other matters that were more their passion.

[@viktorberzinsky4781]

Aye. The real victory was not human over machine in this tale, but humanity over a System that treats people as expendable.

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

The story is seen more as a tragedy in most of the countries I've lived in, where they don't understand why the US sees this as a heroic tale - it's a man working himself to death for the opportunity for other men to keep working themselves to death. It can be hard to convey that in context you are expected to view being in a job that will eventually break or kill you as a privilege, not a burden.

[@nitothefunkybunch6938]

Yeah Ima call bullshit. No real point to automating if you still have the same amount of people working for the same hours. You either cut jobs or dont automate. Anything else is just a waste of manpower. Hell, even in the story they only keep their jobs cause the steam drill isnt efficient enough.

[@ShneekeyTheLost]

But note that after John Henry literally worked himself to death, steam machines replaced them anyway. Progress is inevitable.

[@brandonaughtman9091]

"John Hennery, John Hennery, John Hennery was a mighty man! Born with a hammer, born with a hammer, born with a hammer right in his hand!"

[@Brezzy_5000]

My lord, I haven't heard about this tale in years. Finally.

[@sadfem808]

I remember learning about John Henry as a kid. Even now, hearing his story brings a tear to my eyes.

[@mrreyes5004]

*_"John and the drill_* made the valley shake! Rumblin' almost _caused an earthquake!_ _Thunder_ and _lightning_ was everywhere... *_Oh, Lord, that battle was beyond compare!"_*

[@ReadilyAvailibleChomper]

He was a victim of the system.

[@danielt8919]

I learned of John from the movie Tall Tale

[@Mixedcraft]

This is your president, John Henry Eden, and you're listening to Extra Credits

[@mythosandlogos]

Always one of the most inspirational stories to me; the power of the independent work ethic still beats the machine.

[@Professional_street_hustler]

Being from West Virginia John Henry is taught here as a brave and heroic worker and is considered a legend among all the blue collard workers in the mines he isn’t just a hero for other African Americans he’s a hero for all Americans his race has nothing to do with anything for most people

[@greenbeand8300]

Yooooooooo John Henry slaps I’m so excited to watch this

[@shino4242]

"work until your heart bursts and you die and we replace you with machines anyway" ahh yes, truly a tale worthy of expectations business owners have for their employees. Truly a heartwarming tale.

[@unionpacific8332]

You should do the Casey Jones (The brave engineer) sometime

[@Railhog2102]

John Henry was also a C&O employee and worked on constructing the route through Blue Ridge West Virginia and the C&O named it's Steam Turbine after him and notable locomotives from the railroad including 4-8-4 Greenbrier 614 which is owned by a man named Ross Rowland who is best known for creating the American Freedom Train for the US bicentennial in 1976 and 2-8-4 Kanwaha 2716 which is currently being restored to operation by the Kentucky Steam Corporation with CSX and Alleghenys 1601 and 1604 at the B&O Railroad Museum and Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn

[@jankoleon3785]

Ironically this legend inspired a superhero named steel that also wielded a sledge hammer

[@sharilshahed6106]

Dont think it's ironic. DC's been always taking inspiration from mythical heroes, (Superman based on Hercules, Wonder Woman being an Amazon).

[@StephySon]

Busting in the heads of klansmen. As he should

[@danmenard6917]

Steel was originally one of the four Superman clones wasn't he?

[@22espec]

He even got a movie

[@sharilshahed6106]

@@danmenard6917 not clones, but claimants as successor. Although one of the others were a clone.

[@brianholmes1812]

I love learning about American folk heroes like John Henry. Because one day in Hundreds of years, they'll be studied alongside the Greek or Scandinavian mythologies, and its super interesting to see something similar in its living state

[@PolygonHive]

Insightful as usual! Thanks!

[@moribell1083]

Johnny cash sung about this legendary kind man, one of my favorites of his.

[@Zarsla]

John Henry beat the steam engine, like he went through the mountain.

[@shawnheatherly]

A story that stuck with me throughout my childhood and into adulthood, even if I'm not really the target for its meaning. I like to think it shaped some of my understanding in the value of people, regardless of their skin color.

[@bottasheimfe5750]

I love this story. i remember being a little kid and singing along to the song riding in the backseat of my mom's minivan. good times. i think growing up with this song and other stories like it made me a less bigoted man, as i greatly respect the men and women who do this kind of work because their circumstances preclude them from anything else. i believe the people who do this kind of grueling manual labor should be compensated better, as this kind of work is potentially very dangerous, and requires a lot of skill, despite it being called "unskilled labor"

[@yetigriff]

His great grandson Peter Sutcliffe was a dab hand with a hammer too

[@Snacker6]

What has always struck me is that the story works equally well to show the resolve of man as it does the need for the technology. John Henry may have won, but he literally had to kill himself to do it. The more that you build him up, the more impressive the technology that he was fighting against seems in comparison. It is a tale where everyone comes out looking good, and that is likely why it has endured. The tale may have even been told by the people selling the machine to say that it can keep up with the best of the best going all out, and even if it loses, at least you will on lose anyone in the process.

[@GuapoG0tGuap]

Local folklore has it that he worked on the Big Bend Tunnel in West Virginia and he's buried in one of the unmarked graves behind the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond.

[@Calpaleo]

John Henry has always been my favorite American legend/folktale. Thanks EC for covering him!!!

[@GhostTrueCapitalist]

Do hope y'all do Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Casey Jones and other American Myths and Legend figures.

[@guibin]

John Henry, truly a name that embodies the common man.

[@oberynsand4859]

All I could think is my mom telling me that after a run I can't just stop I have to do a cool down I think if John Henry would have eased himself down his heart wouldn't have Burst

[@Gabriel_PL]

4:40 John Henry: *T-Poses neoluditically* John Henry: Now get the F out of here.

[@MorgenPeschke]

Man, the switch to the Patron shout-out gave me mood whiplash

[@advanceringnewholder]

His hammer was made out of netherite, and enchanted with efficiency 5. The cheering is like Haste 2 beacon

[@breloompauncher5593]

I first heard of the tale as a kid in drama class at like age 5, but weirdly enough my first time being actually aware when I heard the story was the Spongebob adaptation. Spongebob took the role of John Henry, Mr. Krabs the foreman, and Squidward the salesman. I remember thinking it was odd, cause the "final" shot of the episode was the spatula falling out of his hand as he collapsed, so I looked it up and got re-introduced to the tale of John Henry

[@joshkorte9020]

One of the best Jonny Cash songs

[@awesomedude5558]

Was looking for this comment!

[@garrettcoble5859]

Really like the Drive By Truckers song too, though it's a different song not just a cover.

[@50TNCSA]

Its my favorite version

[@rainbowsixsiege2939]

Hey I Really Respect your Effort In your videos keep it up 👍

[@OrbitalAstronaut]

Really good one. I remember the story from elementary school days, but I never knew the backstory until now.

[@theinquisitionsparrot6749]

The one I heard was that John actually drilled so hard that he made it through to the OTHER SIDE. And he had somehow had a rainbow when he made it to the other side too.

[@irisnroses1889]

I loved this story so much as a kid it's one of my kids bedtime stories

[@jiiiyyyaann1210]

1:53 i never thought i would see turbo dismount/ragdoll games on this video

[@nikolozgilles]

john henry, paul bunyan... there are more american myths out there than you think from its long rich history ;)

[@JonathanScarlet]

I remember reading a book, and animated movie, AND a live-action version of this story in my childhood. And seeing this now brings the chorus back to me now (or at least part of it): John Henry, John Henry John Henry was a mighty man Born with a hammer Born with a hammer Born with a hammer in his hand!

[@robinhahnsopran]

I LOVE the sheer beefiness of John Henry in this design.

[@SCP-yq5fw]

I remember another telling of the story saying that John Henry had used 2 hammers when 1 wasn’t enough, and then died because a blood vessel had popped.

[@cristinagomez3283]

"We can't go over it, we can't go under it, oh no! We've got to go through it!" - John Henry

[@ferencrucska9730]

Compared to the provided content, this episode is unnecessary long, filled with nice descriptions, narrations and adjectives. I really like this series , but it is fake to claim that the classical mythology and the modern American or colonial mythology have the same weight and complexity, although the lengh of the videos tend to express that recently. However, in general I am happy to hear such stories, not the same cliches all the time. I just suggest that maybe some short stories would be better to be explained together instead of getting their own independent videos with extremaly extended lengh.

[@sp0ckz0mbi3]

"Before that steam drill shall beat me down, I'll die with my hammer in my hand."

[@Demogarose]

"and he drove so hard that he broke his heart, and he laid down his hammer an he died... he laid down his hammer and he died"

[@Tresorthas]

Instead of re-training as a technician maintaining that machine

[@petrsukenik9266]

workers: "we dont want to go thru moutain it suck" salesman: "ok this machine will drill tunnel and than you will carry on as usual" workers: "reeee"

[@toastytoast9800]

What if john henry is a myth made by companies to make you work harder

[@TheMonolith20001]

John Henry smiled at the Crawler and he said: ' Sure, you can move a lot of dirt, but let's see who gets to to the Mohorovicic discontinuity first.' And he picked up his shovel and waited for the starting gun.

[@Tundra-ec3ii]

God I love American mythology like this. Like it feeds into those greater myths of America that if we strive to make real will guide the nation through our current tumult to true equality and freedom. To an America that matches her marketing materials.

[@pointly]

The might of the American worker can never be beaten! Hammer on John Henry!

[@davididiart5934]

"John Henry said to the Captain, _(To the Captain!)_ By God, I ain't no fool, _(Ain't no fool!)_ Before I die with this hammer in my hand, I'm gonna get me a steam drill too, Lord Lord! Get me a steam drill too! _Wop wop wop wop!_ " Smothers Brothers for the win.

[@Tito4Life3]

That animation was really strange. I'd like more. Also this episode is like that one spongebob episode with the krabby patty cooking machine.

[@sebastianduran2022]

Didn’t think I needed labor mythology in my life but Hell. Yes.

[@nathanjones9924]

1:53 that’s some nice animations. Keep up the good work!

[@warsan2822]

Yah the whole video is amazing

[@caboose.20]

I'm afraid the animation is actually quite rigid. A good piece of EC animation is the "For Science!" bit from the Pellagra episode.

[@natalierichards7030]

Another great episode! Thank you and love you guys.

[@Aeronor2001]

While truly an inspiring story, I do hope that we can learn to treat human lives better. Those men getting to keep their jobs was a blessing and a curse for them. Ideally, machines replacing people should enrich everyone's lives, not just the owners of the machines while the former workers go hungry.

[@frontporchmint]

My third grade teacher read this tale so great i never forgot those emotions. 😩

[@TheSpencermacdougall]

this reminds me of the mini golf episode of gravity falls.

[@lucidiabautista2085]

John Henry was my favorite myth as a little kid!

[@Eramiserasmus]

Haven't heard John Henry's story in so long. Love it and Fontaine's version.