Well, John Hardy was a vicious little man   He carried two guns every day   He shot down a man on the West Virginia line   I see John Hardy gettin' away, poor boy   See John Hardy gettin' away      Well, John Hardy went up to that free stone bridge   Where there, he thought he was free   A dare the man, who called nobody his own   Said, "Johnny come and go with me", poor boy   Johnny come and go with me      John Hardy had a pretty little wife back home   The dress that she wore was blue   She come to the jail house with a loud shout   Said, "Johnny, I've been true to you", poor boy   "Johnny, I've been true to you", she said      John Hardy sent out to the East Coast   Sent for his folks to come and go his bail   But there was no bail allowed for the murderin' man   They sent John Hardy back to jail, poor boy   Sent John Hardy back to jail, back now      Who's going to shoe your pretty little feet   Who's gonna glove your hand   Who's gonna kiss your rosy red cheeks   It's gonna be that steel drivin' man, poor boy   "Be that steel drivin' man", she said      Now sittin' alone there in his cell   Now tears are rolling down his eyes   He's been the death of many, a poor man   And now, he is ready to die, poor boy   Now he is ready to die      Singin' "I've been to the east, I've been to the west"   I've seen this whole wide world around   I've been to the river and I've been baptized   Take me to my hanging in the ground, poor boy   "Take me to my hanging in the ground", she said      I [Incomprehensible] poor boy, poor boy