The folk legend of John Henry, and his contest with a steam engine to cut a railroad tunnel through a mountain, is told in song by Roberta Flack.
John Henry was a man who worked hard to build railroads. He and his wife encountered obstacles along the way, but they persevered. When a steam drill was introduced to help with the work, John Henry refused to give up and worked hard to beat it. He succeeded, but died from the exertion. His legacy lived on as a symbol of the hardworking men who built the railroads in America.—Cole Jankovic