[Verse 1]
I was born one mornin'
The rain came pourin' down
Well I heard my mama say to my papa, "Let’s call him John Henry Brown"

[Chorus]
Walk on boy
Walk on down the road
Well there ain't nobody in the whole wide world who's gonna help you carry your load

[Verse 2]
Well I left my mom and papa
Just about the age of ten
And I got me a job workin' on the levee totin' water for the hard-workin' men

[Chorus]
Walk on boy
Walk on down the road
Well there ain't nobody in the whole wide world a-gonna help you carry your load

[Verse 3]
Well one day my papa he told me
"Some advice I'd like to give to you:
"Son, find you a woman, be good to her, and she's gonna be good to you"

[Chorus]
Walk on boy
Walk on down the road
Well there ain't nobody in the whole wide world that's gonna help you carry your load
[Verse 4]
If anyone should ever ask you
"Who is that fella 'Brown'?"
Well you can tell 'em I'm the fella that left my hammer smokin' where I beat that ol' steam drill down

[Chorus]
Walk on boy
Walk on down the road
Well there ain't nobody in the whole wide world that's gonna help you carry your load

[Chorus]
Walk on boy
Walk on down the road
Well there ain't nobody in the whole wide world that's gonna help you carry your load