John Hardy, he was a desperate little man,
He carried two guns every day.
He shot a man on the West Virginia line,
You oughta seen John Hardy get away.
John Hardy, he got to the Keystone Bridge,
He thought that he would be free.
Up steps a man and takes him by his arm
Saying, “Johnny, walk along with me.”
He sent for his papa and his mama, too,
To come and go his bail.
But money won’t go a murdering case
And they locked John Hardy back in jail.
John Hardy, he had a pretty little girl,
The dress she wore was blue.
She came skipping through the old jail hall
Saying, “Poppy, I’ve been true to you.”
John Hardy, he had another little girl,
The dress she wore was red.
She followed John Hardy to his hanging ground
Saying, “Poppy, I would rather be dead.”
I’ve been to the east and I’ve been to the west,
I’ve been this wide world around.
I’ve been to the river and I’ve been baptized
And now I’m on my hanging ground.
John Hardy walked out on the scaffold high
With his loving little wife by his side.
And the last words she heard poor Johnny say,
“I’ll meet you in that sweet bye-and-bye.”
He carried two guns every day.
He shot a man on the West Virginia line,
You oughta seen John Hardy get away.
John Hardy, he got to the Keystone Bridge,
He thought that he would be free.
Up steps a man and takes him by his arm
Saying, “Johnny, walk along with me.”
He sent for his papa and his mama, too,
To come and go his bail.
But money won’t go a murdering case
And they locked John Hardy back in jail.
John Hardy, he had a pretty little girl,
The dress she wore was blue.
She came skipping through the old jail hall
Saying, “Poppy, I’ve been true to you.”
John Hardy, he had another little girl,
The dress she wore was red.
She followed John Hardy to his hanging ground
Saying, “Poppy, I would rather be dead.”
I’ve been to the east and I’ve been to the west,
I’ve been this wide world around.
I’ve been to the river and I’ve been baptized
And now I’m on my hanging ground.
John Hardy walked out on the scaffold high
With his loving little wife by his side.
And the last words she heard poor Johnny say,
“I’ll meet you in that sweet bye-and-bye.”
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