Classic Poem

John Hardy was a desp'rate little man,
He carried two guns ev'ry day,
He shot down a man on the West Virginia line,
You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away, poor boy,
You oughta seen John Hardy gettin' away.

John Hardy stood at the gamblin' table,
Didn't have no int'rest in the game,
Up stepped a yellow gal and threw a dollar down,
Said, “Deal John Hardy in the game, poor boy,
Deal John Hardy in the game.”

John Hardy took that yellow gal's money,
And then he began to play,
Said, “The man that wins my yellow gal's dollar,
I'll lay him in his lonesome grave, poor boy,
I'll lay him in his lonesome grave.

John Hardy drew to a four-card straight,
And the Chinaman drew to a pair,
John failed to catch and the Chinaman won,
And he left him sitting dead in his chair, poor boy,
And he left him sitting dead in his chair.

John started to catch that East-bound train,
So dark he could not see,
Up stepped the police and took him by the arm,
Said, “Johnny come and go with me, poor boy,
Johnny come and go with me.”

John Hardy's father came to him,
Come for to go his bail;
No bail was allowed for a murderin' man,
So they shoved John Hardy back in jail, poor boy,
So they shoved John Hardy back in jail.

They took John Hardy to his hangin' ground,
The hung him there to die,
And the very last word I heard him say—
“My forty gun never told a lie, poor boy,
My forty gun never told a lie.

“I've been to the East, I've been to the West,
I've travelled this wide world around,
I've been to the river and I've been baptised
And now I'm on my hangin' ground, poor boy,
And now I'm on my hangin' ground.”

John Hardy had a loving little wife,
And children she had three,
But he cared no more for his wife and his child,
Than he did for the rocks in the sea, poor boy,
Than he did for the rocks in the sea.