John Hardy was a desperate little man,

He carried two guns ev'ry day.

He shot down a man on that West Virginia line,

You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away....

You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away....



John Hardy stood in that old baroom,

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."



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,

No, my six-shooters never told a lie.



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.

God knows, Johnny, I've been true to you."



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,

Well, Johnny, I had rather see you dead."



"I've been to the East and I've been to the West,

I've traveled this wide world around,

I've been to that river and I've been baptized,

So take me to my burying ground,

So take me to my burying ground."



John Hardy was a desperate little man,

He carried two guns ev'ry day.

He shot down a man on the West Virginia line,

You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away,

You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away.