A         D      E
John Hardy, he was a desperate little man 
    A           D          E
He carried two guns every day
   A       D          E
He shot a man on the West Virginia line
   E
I seen John Hardy getting’ away poor boy
   E
I seen John Hardy getting’ away

      A         D          E
John Hardy went up on that Keystone bridge
A  D               E
He thought he was free
A         D           E    
Up came a man and he caught him by the arm 
      E
Said "Johnny, come and go with me poor boy,
E
Johnny, come and go with me"

      A            D           E         
John Hardy had a mother and a father too
    A              D               E  
He begged them to come and go his bail
          A           D            E
There was no bail allowed for the murderin’ man
      E
They chased John Hardy back in jail poor boy
      E
They chased John Hardy back in jail

      A        D      E
John Hardy he had a pretty little wife 
A                  D       E 
And the dress she wore was blue
    A            D         E
She come to the jailhouse with a loud shout
      E
Said “Johnny I been true to you poor boy,
E 
Johnny I been true to you”

      A           D      E
John Hardy, was standing in his cell
     A         D               E
And tears are rollin’ down his eyes
         A                D         E
Said, "I have been at the death of many a poor man
    E
And now I am ready to die poor boy
    E
And now I am ready to die"

     A           D         E
I’ve been to the east I've been to the west 
     A          D         E     
I've been the whole wide world around
     A            D        E
I've been to the river and I've been to baptized
E
Take me to my hanging ground Lord, Lord
E
And take me to my hanging ground