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(SINGING) This is the
hammer killed John Henry.

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Laid him low, laid him low.

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This is the hammer
killed John Henry.

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Laid him low,
Lord, laid him low.

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When John was sick, Polly drove
steel like a man, like a man.

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When John was sick, Polly
drove steel like a man, Lord,

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like a man.

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AMYTHYST KIAH: I'm drawn
to songs that, kind of,

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talk about that
struggle and the will

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to try and overcome that
and overcome adversity.

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And so, when a person writes a
song, it's never in a vacuum.

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To me, I, kind of,
feel like I'm, like,

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a vessel for whatever
is happening,

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whatever I've experienced,
whatever I've read,

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or whatever I've heard.

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I'm a vessel by which I can
put that out into the world

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by writing a song.

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(SINGING) John Henry had a
woman, Polly Ann, Polly Ann.

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When John was sick, Polly
drove steel like a man, Lord,

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like a man.

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Polly can you lift that hammer?

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Yes, I can.

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Yes, I can.

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I can swing it.

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I can strike it harder
than any man can.

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[MUSICAL INTERLUDE]

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RHIANNON GIDDENS:
You know, that's

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what I hope with this record is
that it's a response, you know?

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It's like the Black
woman in this country

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is just, like, always on
the bottom and has been,

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but she's always doing
twice as much work,

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and often leading the
charge, and then swept

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aside and forgotten about.

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AMYTHYST KIAH: (SINGING)
When Polly had a small baby

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on her knee, on her knee.

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Had a hammer in left hand.

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Ain't no one strong as me.

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This is the hammer
killed John Henry.

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Won't kill me, won't kill me.

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This is the hammer
killed your daddy.

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Throw it down and we'll be free.

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[AUDIENCE APPLAUSE]