“John Hardy” as sung by Doc Watson

John Hardy, he was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot a man on the West Virginia line
I seen John Hardy getting’ away poor boy
I seen John Hardy getting’ away

John Hardy went up on that Freestone bridge
He thought that he might be free
But a marshall stepped up and he grabbed him by the arm
Said “Johnny, come along with me,
Johnny, come along with me”

John Hardy had a mother and a father too
To come around and go his bail
But money can’t bring out a murderin’ man
They locked John Hardy back in jail poor boy
They locked John Hardy back in jail

They hung John Hardy on the followin’ morn
They strung him way up in the sky
The last words that John Hardy said
“I’ll see you in that sweet by and by, oh Lord
I’ll see you in that sweet by and by”