The song "John Henry" has been passed down from generation to generation, keeping his story alive. Many different variations, particularly in the verses, were sung by coal miners and railroad workers in the late 1800s. These were the earliest mentions of John Henry and helped spread the tale of his heroic battle against the steam drill.

In 1911, folklorist Josiah Combs collected a complete version of the song in eastern Kentucky that specifically mentioned the Big Bend Tunnel on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, linking the legend to a real person and location. In its various forms, it's one of the most researched folk songs in the United States and possibly the world, according to folklorists at the Library of Congress. One of the earliest known recordings was made in 1924 by Fiddlin’ John Carson (pictured), and since then, hundreds of versions have been recorded across all types of musical genres.