There Lies A Steel Drivin' Man

Born a slave in the mid-1800s, John Henry hammered his story into legend.

The emancipation of slaves after the Civil War sent thousands of men into the workforce during the Reconstruction period with most of the working conditions as poor as the pay.

Railroad construction, particularly during this time, was one of the occupations where one could expect to find some of the hardest work, under the worst conditions and get paid little for it.

Part of building railroads was drilling tunnels through mountains which were too large to go around or over. This work was performed by hand by a hammer man and his partner, known as a "shaker" or a "turner." The hammer man would pound a steel drill or spike into the rock, creating a hole which would be packed with explosives. The shaker's job was to hold the drill in place while it was being struck by the hammer man, and to give it a twist after each blow.

The work of the shaker was actually far more dangerous that that of the hammer man. Often the drill needed to be held at an awkward angle, and always in a restricted space, which meant the the shaker was usually crouched or otherwise inconveniently placed near the stiking surface. One bad swing by the hammer man, and, well, send in a new shaker.

John Henry was working for the C&O Railroad that was extending its line from Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio Valley when they encountered the mile-and-a-quarter thick Big Bend Mountain. It took 1,000 men three years to bore the tunnel through the rock. Smoke and dust from lanterns and blasting, which filled the tunnel, reduced visibility and made breathing difficult. Hundreds would die and be buried just outside the tunnel opening.

Legend has it that John Henry was the strongest, fastest and most powerful hammer man on the line. He stood at 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, which at the time was enormous. A typical hammer man would swing a Nine Pound Hammer, but some historians believe he used a 14-pound hammer, clearing 10 to 20 feet in a 12-hour day.

The legend continues that a salesman brought a steam-powered drill to the worksite with the claim that it could outdrill any man. John Henry accepted the challenge defiantly asserting "I'll die with my hammer in my hand."

The reports of the distances each contestant was able to achieve vary. According to Harry Belafonte's version, "John Henry drove his 15 feet, the steam drill only made 9." Whether John Henry bested the steam drill by 6 feet or only an inch, it was a remarkable feat.

John Henry died shortly afterwards either from exhaustion or a stroke.

Harry Belafonte, known as an actor and for bringing Calypso music into popularity, performed John Henry at Carnegie Hall in 1959 for this recording.

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It's Hammer Time

Out of Oakland, California, came an energetic rapper in baggy pants calling himself "MC Hammer" who would become one of rap music's biggest stars with the best-selling rap album, "Please, Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em."

The success of the album can be largely attributed to U Can't Touch This. The song dominated the radio and MTV playlists and would go on to win Hammer Grammys for Best R&B Song and Best Solo Rap Performance.

The song was also quite a windfall for funk musician Rick James. The underlying riff is a sample from James' Superfreak. James eventually sued and was awarded royalty payments.

As a bat/ball boy for the Oakland Athletics as a youth, the players gave him the nickname "Hammer" for his resemblence to the home run king, "Hammerin'" Hank Aaron, though I've heard no reports of Aaron donning parachute pants and bustin' some moves.

Hammer's elaborate live show and lavish lifestyle would eventually become his downfall. The stage show for his follow-up album, "Too Legit To Quit," with a cast of singers, dancers, and backup musicians, was simply too expensive to finance and was cancelled before completion.

Hammer filed for bankruptcy in 1996 and his assets were sold at a fraction of their cost.

This prompted Hammer to return to his religious roots emphasizing spirituality and family.

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I'd Hammer In The Morning

If I Had A Hammer was first published in a 1950 edition of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie's folk music magazine, "Sing Out!" One reader was prompted to draft a letter which stated, "Cancel my subscription, all you left out of that song was the sickle."

The reader was eluding to the communist overtones to the song's lyrics.

Remember, this was 1950 and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was rounding up leftists, particularly in the entertainment industries, investigating their suspected involvement with communist organizations, and calling them to testify before Congress.

In 1955, Seeger was summoned but refused to testify. He was cited for Contempt of Congress and blacklisted by the HUAC.

Trini Lopez was born to a poor family in the barrio of Dallas, Texas.

Trini's musical career began at age 11 when his father, also a performer, gave him a spanking for "hanging around with the wrong kind of kids." Out of guilt, Trini's father then bought him a $12.00 guitar and taught him how to play.

When Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash, Holly's band, The Crickets, asked Trini to replace him as lead singer. Trini accepted and left for California, however, it never took off as The Crickets opted to collect royalties from continued album sales rather than re-group and continue to perform.

Lopez, then broke and desperate, went solo.

His first album, "Trini Lopez at P.J.'s" was a number one hit with If I Had A Hammer reaching number one in twenty-five countries.

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It's A Little Too Heavy

Tennessee Ernie Ford's legendary career spanned over 50 years and he sold more than 60 million records worldwide.

From 1956 to 1965 Ford played host of "The Ford Show," a top-rated variety show for both NBC and ABC.

Ford's final television appearance came in 1991 in a taped interview with Dinah Shore.

Ford fell ill after attending a State Dinner at the White House in 1991 with the the elder Bush. He passed away on October 17th, 1991, thirty-six years to the day after the release of his most famous song, Sixteen Tons.

Among his lifetime achievements are the release of eighty-three albums, third recipient of The Minnie Pearl Award, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and The Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by President Ronald Reagan.

Charlie Bowman is credited for the lyrics to Nine Pound Hammer, from a tune he had heard from some railroad workers.

A Nine Pound Hammer is a sledgehammer used mostly during railroad construction and by blacksmiths.

In railroad construction, the Nine Pound Hammer was used to drive a steel spike or drill bit into solid rock so that explosives could be inserted into the hole.

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Bang! Bang!

Maxwell Edison, who majors in medicine, has a peculiar pastime involving his silver hammer.

Keep your guard up around Maxwell lest his silver hammer comes down on your head and he makes sure you are dead.

The song was released on the 1969 #1 album "Abbey Road." No, I don't know why Paul wasn't wearing socks on the cover.

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