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this was another song that I used in my teaching. and would get it cranked up just like I played it on here..The Greenbriar River heads up here in Pocahontas county and empties into the New River which runs north from North Carolina at Hinton WVa. It passes through the village of Talcott where the Big Bend Tunnel was built for the C&O Railroad which runs along the river. John Henry was working and died there in the tunnel 1870-1873? He was working up against the "face" of the rock in the tunnel driving steel rod called a "drill" similar to a long wedge. it was to "drill" holes to put dynamite in. He did not drive spikes on the railroad. the man who held the "drill" was called a "shaker" who had to twist the drill at each strike of the hammer. that is why John Henry told him to pray.

in this situation, the Industrial Revolution had arrived with a new "steam powered drill" to replace the hand laborers. John challenged, the steam drill's "Your hole done choked and your drill done broke and you cant make a fool outs me" John sang. He won the wager and died.

this WVa song became an international hit. it was probably a work song which was really slow.

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from All Old Songs, released November 13, 2016

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Dwight Diller and David Nemec West Virginia

Traditional Mountain Music from
the Yew Pine Mountain range of Pocahontas County containing Cheat, Elk, Black, Cranberry, Kennison, Viney, Caesar and Droop Mountains. Virtually every musician in these recordings are West Virginians. ... more

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