Disney's Short on "John Henry" Powerfully Approaches the Subjects of Slavery & Freedom, Marriage & Support, Community & Sacrifice
"John Henry" was released on Blu-ray in Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection on August 18, 2015. And in January 2016, a friend of my daughter from her school gave her this collection. So I thought it would be apropos to do a small write up on it in honor of Black History Month.
After taking time to watch the entire collection, my daughter told me that she knew I would love the John Henry short in particular. She was right. It was absolutely amazing. In less than seven minutes, Disney used story and song to address slavery and freedom, marriage and support, community and sacrifice in profound ways for children.
And John Henry – a Christ-like archetype who loved his wife unto death, served and strengthened the downtrodden and poor, and made the way for what was promised for his people to be delivered – is a wonderful example of strength and grace for people of all ages.
Disney Animated Short Film John Henry Summary
But don't take my word for it. Take a look at the images below or read the manuscript provided. I think you will enjoy it as it is a great story for all people as it honors the legacy of all the African Americans who helped build this nation.
Disney Animated Short Film John Henry Script & Screen Shots
(Sung lyrics)
Wonderful (wonderful), marvelous (marvelous), a man with the strength of ten men (yes, he was). Brave and bold with a heart of gold, John Henry was a mighty man, born with a hammer right in his hand.
Narrator: Every soul has a dream. Every heart has a way to make it so. Now let me tell you about my John Henry who laid down his life for his dream.
John and me were born slaves. Nothing to call our own. Not even each other. Then the day of jubilation came and all the slaves were freed. And John vowed, "Never again."
And with that, I had his chains forged into a mighty hammer, a present for John on our wedding day. Oh, you'd have that he'd gotten his freedom all over again. He said, "Polly, I'll die with this hammer in my hand."
And off we set to find a work and a place of our own.
Now the C&O Railroad had promised land, 50 acres to every man who finished the line. But when John and I came up on it, they were already worn out and bound to lose our promised land.
Scottish railroad manager: Lads, the deadlines been moved on. If we don't get to the other side of that mountain, we can kiss our land goodbye.
Crowd: What?! That's it! We had a deal! That's not fair! We're working as hard as we can!
John Henry: I'll take you there.
Scottish railroad manager: And when did you start building railroads?
John Henry: Today.
Well then, come on, John. You're the one we're depending on. Swing that hammer with all your might. I know you can show them how to do it right.
Narrator: John's hammer rang out, and the tall tales grew.
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a mighty man.
Born with a hammer, a ten-pound hammer, a twenty-pound hammer right in his hand.
I heard John's mama liked to sew at night, so he pulled down the moon for a little bit of light.
Took a lot of cooking to keep John fed: ten dozen eggs and eight loaves of bread.
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a mighty man.
Born with a hammer, born with a hammer, born with a hammer right in his hand.
He plowed the earth so wide and deep, the seed he sowed the ground had to reap.
His hammer hit the earth in such a mighty blow, everything within it had to jump up and grow.
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a powerful man.
All our lives we've been so poor, John let me show you what we're working for:
Canaan land, Canaan land, Canaan land. We're working for the Canaan land. Home and freedom hand-in-hand, working for the Canaan land.
Working on down the line, John Henry came in right on time.
Working on down the line, John Henry came in right on time.
Home and freedom hand-in-hand, working for the Canaan land.
Crowd: What is that thing? It's a steam drill. That thing's going to take our jobs.
Scottish railroad manager: But we had a contract.
Crowd: We had a deal!
John Henry: This ain't no way to settle things.
Crowd: John, they're throwing us away like we was nothing!
John Henry: I've got a better way. A challenge. I've got two free hands and a twenty-pound hammer. If I can best this here machine, the land you promised is ours.
Polly: John, we're free. You don't have to do this.
John Henry: Polly, if they steal our dreams, they put a chain around our souls. Somebody has got to stand tall. Believe in me.
Crowd: Come on, John! Show them what you got, John!
Scottish railroad manager: Furthest by sundown, gentlemen.
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a mighty man.
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a powerful man.
Steal driving hammer, steal driving hammer, oh John defying, steal-driving man.
Crowd: John wins!
Scottish railroad manager: It's not sundown yet.
Well come on, John. You're the one that we're depending on.
Swing that hammer, bust that rock.
Come on, give it everything you've got!
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a mighty man!
Born with a hammer, born with a hammer, born with a hammer right in his hand!
John had to drill and shake, moving rock almost like an earthquake!
Thunder and lightning was everywhere, oh John's power was beyond compare!
John Henry, John Henry, John Henry is a powerful man!
Born with a hammer, born with a hammer, born with a hammer right in his hand!
Scottish railroad manager: Ah, Polly, he did it!
Narrator: Oh, and he was smiling 'cause he moved that mountain and led us to the promised land.
You can move mountains, too, baby. All you've got to do is believe.
Don't you be scared of that thunder no more, child. The storms have done rolled away. And that's just the sound of your papa driving steal in glory.
So, just remember:
No mountain too high, no valley too low.
No river too wide, no place too far to go.
Oh if you believe you can overcome, the battle is already won.
Just keep on keeping on. Stand tall just like John.
No matter who you are, no matter where you're from.
Nothing can stop you from who you can become.
Just keep on keeping on. Stand tall just like John!
For more posts on God's multiethnic church and transcultural Kingdom:
Kainos Movement Conference
God Gets His Family Back | Christians Joining God for Change | A Lion and Lambs Club |Okay, So Now What? | The Transforming Power of God's Love | Disentangling Race, Ethnicity, and Culture | Let's Make Diversity a Verb | Listening to All the Voices | The Witness of Jesus' Church | Pursuing Multi-Ethnic Leadership | High-Definition Leadership | Transcultural and Multi-Ethnic Worship in Song | Recommended Readings for Seeking Racial Understanding, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation
Unveiling the Transcultural Kingdom Conference
God's Design for the Transcultural Kingdom | The Winsome Mission of a Transcultural Community | Planting and Leading Jesus' Multicultural Church | Leading a Church Through the Change of Becoming Multicultural | Transculturalism in the Bible: God's Beautiful Vision for Reconciling His Multi-Ethnic Family
Multi-Ethnic Church and Reconciliation Songs, Books, Videos, and Posts
Christ is all,
Rev. Mike "Sully" Sullivan
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