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

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

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

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

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

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

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