| Lyrics: | John Hardy
John Hardy was a brave little man
He carried a pistol every day
He
killed a man in Shallow Town
'Twas a sight to see John Hardy getting away, Lord,
Lord
'Twas a sight to see John Hardy getting away
John Hardy was standing at the
gambling bar And was not
concerning the game; Up stepped a lady, threw down half a
dollar,
Said, "Deal John Hardy in the game," etc.
John Hardy picked up the half a
dollar
And threw it against the ground,
Saying, "The very first man that wins my
money,
I sure will blow him down."
A big buck nigger he won the money
And
picked it up from the ground;
John Hardy he drew out his pistol
And shot that nigger
down.
John Hardy got on an old freight train,
The old freight train was too
late;
And if the old train had n't a-been behind time,
John Hardy would have made his
escape.
John Hardy was a-standing at the station bars,
So dark he could not
see;
Up stepped a policeman and took him by the arm,
Says, "Johnny, come and go with
me."
The policeman he arrested John
And brought him on to jail;
They no bail
allowed for a murderer,
And they locked John Hardy up in jail.
John wrote to his
father and mother to come
And get him out on bail;
They no bond allowed for murdering
crime;
So they kept John Hardy in jail.
John's father and mother crossed the deep
blue sea,
To get him out on bail;
Says, "There 's no bond for a murdering man."
So
they kept John Hardy in jail.
John Hardy had a pretty little wife,
She always went
dressed in green;
And coming down on the hanging ground,
Says, "Johnny, you were always
too mean."
John Hardy had a true little boy,
He was all dressed in black;
As
coming down on the hanging ground,
Says, "Papa, I wish that you were back."
John
Hardy had a true little girl,
She always dressed in red;
As coming down on the hanging
ground,
Says, "Papa, I would rather be dead."
"I've been to the East and I've been
to the West
I've been the wide world round;
I've been to the river and I've been
baptized,
And now I'm on my hanging ground."
@outlaw @murder
From Cox,
Folk-Songs of the South
Knott Cnty, Kentucky, 1924, Prof. Combs
John Hardy was hung in
1894 in West Virginia
John Hardy (gambler, murderer) may have been the same man as
John
Henry (steel driver)
filename[ JOHNHARD
SF
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