Fun_People Archive
22 Nov
John Henry, the Vote-Countin' Man

Content-Type: text/plain
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3 v118.2)
From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 100 10:12:47 -0800
To: Fun_People
Precedence: bulk
Subject: John Henry, the Vote-Countin' Man

X-Lib-of-Cong-ISSN: 1098-7649  -=[ Fun_People ]=-
X-http://www.langston.com/psl-bin/Fun_People.cgi
Forwarded-by: queen@igc.apc.org (Alice)
Forwarded-by: my folkie pal Evy in NYC:
**************
The current mess in Florida once again evokes an old folk theme, the man
who takes on a mechanical contrivance and wins.

JOHN HENRY, THE VOTE-COUNTIN' MAN

When John Henry was a little baby,
  No bigger than the palm of your hand,
He picked up a punch card and knocked out some chad,
Said "I'm gonna be a vote-countin' man, Lord, Lord,
  "Gonna be a vote-countin' man."

Secretary of State said to John Henry,
  "I'm gonna bring that tabulator round,
Bring that machine down to your polling place,
Gonna knock that vote total down, Lord, Lord,
  Knock that vote total down."

John Henry he said to the Secretary,
  "You know a man ain't nothing but a man
But before I let this county go Republican
I'll die with my punch card in my hand, Lord, Lord,
  Die with my punch card in my hand."

John Henry he said to the poll watcher,
  "Watcher, now you better pray,
'Cause if I can't find all that dimpled pregnant chad,
It's Bush on Inauguration Day, Lord, Lord,
  George Bush on Inauguration Day."

The precinct captain said to John Henry,
  "Feels like a mighty hot wind."
John Henry laughed at the captain and said,
"Ain't nothing but the crew from CNN, Lord, Lord,
  Wolf Blitzer and the crew from CNN."

John Henry had a little woman,
  Her name was Polly Ann;
When John Henry got sued, and had to go to court,
Polly Ann counted ballots like a man, Lord, Lord,
  Polly Ann counted ballots like a man.

Now you know, John Henry counted thirteen hundred votes,
  The machine, it only counted nine;
But he got a paper cut, and he lost so much blood,
He lay down his punch card and he died, Lord, Lord,
  He lay down his punch card and he died.

They took John Henry to the courthouse,
  And they buried him in the sand,
But every time Al Gore climbs up on Air Force One,
He says "Thank you" to that vote-countin' man, Lord, Lord,
  He owes it to that vote-countin' man.

**************

© 2000 Peter Langston