John Hardy - Manfred Mann

John Hardy was a brave little man

He carried two guns ev’ry day

Killed him a man in the West Virginia land

Oughta seen poor Johnny gettin' away, Lord, Lord

Oughta seen poor Johnny gettin' away

John Hardy was standin' at the barroom door

He didn’t have a hand in the game

Up stepped his woman and threw down fifty cents

Says, «Deal my man in the game, Lord, Lord…»

John Hardy lost that fifty cents

It was all he had in the game

He drew the forty-four that he carried by his side

Blowed out that poor Negro’s brains, Lord, Lord…

John Hardy had ten miles to go

And half of that he run

He run till he come to the broad river bank

He fell to his breast and he swum, Lord, Lord…

He swum till he came to his mother’s house

«My boy, what have you done?»

«I've killed a man in the West Virginia Land

And I know that I have to be hung, Lord, Lord…»

He asked his mother for a fifty-cent piece

«My son, I have no change»

«Then hand me down my old forty-four

And I’ll blow out my agurvatin' (sic) brains, Lord, Lord…»

John Hardy was lyin' on the broad river bank

As drunk as a man could be

Up stepped the police and took him by the hand

Sayin' «Johnny, come and go with me, Lord, Lord…»

John Hardy had a pretty little girl

The dress she wore was blue

She come a-skippin' through the old jail hall

Sayin', «Poppy, I’ll be true to you, Lord, Lord…»

John Hardy had another little girl

The dress that she wore was red

She came a-skippin' through the old jail hall

Sayin' «Poppy, I’d rather be dead, Lord, Lord…»

They took John Hardy to the hangin' ground

They hung him there to die

The very last words that poor boy said

«My forty gun never told a lie, Lord, Lord…»