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