(intro) A

         D           A
    John Hardy was a desperate little man,
        D                      A
    he carried two guns every day.
         D                A
    He shot a man on the West Virginia line,
                              E              A
    and you oughta seen John Hardy getting away.

          D                    A
    John Hardy, he got to the East Stone Bridge,
         D                        A
    he thought that he would be free.
        D                     A
    And up stepped a man and took him by the arm,
                            E        A
    saying, “Johnny, walk along with me !"

        D                          A
    He sent for his poppy and his mommy, too,
        D              A
    to come to go his bail.
         D               A
    But money wont go a murdering case,
                          E            A
    and they locked John Hardy back in jail.

          D                A
    John Hardy, he had a pretty little girl,
          D                       A
    the dress that she wore was blue,
        D                            A
    as she came skipping through the old jail hall,
                                E      A
    saying, “Poppy, I've been true to you!"

          D              A
    John Hardy, he had another little girl,
          D                      A
    the dress that she wore was red.
         D                          A
    She followed John Hardy to the hanging ground,
                            E          A
    saying Poppy, “I would rather be dead !"

          D                          A
    I've been to the East, and I've been to the West ,
          D                      A
    I've been this wide world around,
          D                          A
    I've been to the river and I've been baptized,
                       E        A
    and now I'm on my hanging ground.

          D                        A
    John Hardy walked out on his scaffold high,
              D                         A
    with his loving little wife by his side.
             D                        A
    And the last word she heard poor John-o say,
                             E            A
    “I'll meet you in that sweet bye and bye. “