Key verses of the song capture the dramatic battle between John Henry and the steam drill. As he faced the daunting task of competing against the machine, John Henry was humbled by the mountain before him, and at one point, “he laid down his hammer and he cried.” But despite this moment, he would not surrender to the steam drill.

In the song, John Henry reflects that “a man ain’t nothing but a man,” acknowledging his own human limitations. Yet, he vows to outwork the machine or die trying: “Before I let that steam drill beat me down, I’ll die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord.”

In the end, John Henry triumphs in the contest, driving 14 feet of steel, while the steam drill driver only nine. However, the monumental effort takes a heavy toll on him, and he dies from exhaustion shortly after his heroic feat.