In an earlier post, I shared my disappointment at having to trim Aaron Copland’s “John Henry” from my Labor Day playlist on Saturday, because of time considerations. So I’m including it here at one of the links below.
First, the basis for the John Henry legend:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_(folklore)
Does New River Gorge National Park doubt its veracity?
https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/the-legend-of-john-henry-talcott-wv.htm
Princeton’s own Paul Robeson sings the folk ballad:
Copland’s “descriptive fantasy,” composed in 1940:
There’s a famous quote in John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962): “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” The tale of John Henry is one of tragic grandeur. Whether he lived or how he died is of little consequence to its resonance. Small wonder that this powerful symbol endures.
PHOTOS: John Henry monument in Talcott, WV, at its current location near the Great Bend Tunnel, and related historical markers