John Hardy

John Hardy

John ^C Hardy was a ^G desp’rate little man,
He ^C carried two guns ev’ry ^G day.
He ^C shot down a man
on that ^G West Virginia ^C line,
You ought to ^G see John ^C Hardy
gettin’ a- ^G way, poor ^C boy,
You ought to ^G see John ^C Hardy gettin’ a- ^G way.

 

1. John Hardy was a desp’rate little man,
He carried two guns ev’ry day.
He shot down a man
on that West Virginia line,
You ought to see John Hardy
gettin’ away, poor boy,
You ought to see John Hardy gettin’ away.

2. John Hardy stood in that old barroom,
So drunk that he could not see.
And a man walked up
and took him by the arm,
He said, Johnny, come
and go along with me, poor boy,
Johnny, come and walk along with me.

3. John Hardy stood in his old jail cell,
The tears running down from his eyes.
He said, I’ve been the death
of many a poor boy.
But my six-shooters
never told a lie, poor boy,
But my six-shooters never told a lie.

4. The first one to visit
John Hardy in his cell
Was a little girl dressed in blue.
She came down to that old jail cell,
She said, Johnny,
I’ve been true to you, poor boy,
God knows, Johnny, I’ve been true to you.

5. The next one to visit
John Hardy in his cell,
Was a little girl dressed in red.
She came down to that old jail cell,
She said, Johnny,
I had rather see you dead, poor boy,
She said, Johnny,
I had rather see you dead.

6. I’ve been to the East
and I’ve been to the West,
I’ve travelled this wide world around,
I’ve been to that river
and I’ve been baptized,
So take me to my
burying ground, poor boy,
So take me to my burying ground.