| John Hardy was a desperate little man,
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| He carried two guns every day.
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| He shot down a man on the West Virginia Line,
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| You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away,
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| You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away.
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| John Hardy stood in that old barroom
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| So drunk that he could not see.
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| And a man walked up and took him by the arm,
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| He said, «Johnny, come and go along with me,
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| Poor boy, Johnny, come and walk along with me.»
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| John Hardy stood in his old jail cell,
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| The tears running down from his eyes.
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| He said, «I've been the death of many poor boy,
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| But my six-shooter never told a lie,
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| No, my six-shooters never told a lie.»
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| The first one to visit John Hardy in his cell
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| Was a little girl dressed in blue.
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| She came down to that old jail cell;
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| She said, «Johnny, I’ve been true to you,
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| God knows, Johnny, I’ve been true to you.»
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| The next one to visit John Hardy in his cell
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| Was a little girl dressed in red.
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| She came down to that old jail cell;
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| She said, «Johnny, I had rather see you dead,
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| Well, Johnny, I had rather see you dead.»
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| «I've been to the east and I’ve been to the west,
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| I’ve traveled this wide world around;
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| I’ve been to that river and I’ve been baptized,
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| So take me to my burying ground,
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| So take me to my burying ground.»
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| John Hardy was a desperate little man,
 | 
| He carried two guns every day.
 | 
| He shot down a man on the West Virginia Line,
 | 
| You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away,
 | 
| You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away. |