John Hardy
beginner
John Hardy
Doc Watson
The Grass app includes adjustable backing tracks with bass, guitar, and mandolin — a built-in chromatic tuner — a metronome with count-in — chord charts in any key — lyrics with chorus highlighting — demo videos — jam-along practice recordings — shareable setlists — and a finder for 700+ bluegrass jam circles near you. Free on iOS and Android.
Jam Along
Chord Chart
A
CC
CC
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
GG
DD
DD
DD
DD
DD
DD
GG
GG
Chords used:
C
D
G
Lyrics
John Hardy was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot down a man on that West Virginia line
You ought a seen John Hardy getting away
You ought to seen John Hardy getting away
John Hardy stood in that old barroom
So drunk that he could not see
And a man walked up and took him by the arm
He said Johnny, come and go along with me Poor boy
Johnny, come and walk along with me
John Hardy stood in his old jail cell
The tears running down from his eyes
He said I've been the death of many a poor boy
But my six-shooters never told a lie
No, my six-shooters never told a lie
The first one to visit John Hardy in his cell
Was a little girl dressed in blue
She came down to that old jail cell
She said Johnny, I've been true to you God knows
Johnny, I've been true to you
The next one to Visit John Hardy in his cell
Was a little girl dressed in red
She come down to that old jail cell
She said, Johnny, I had rather see you dead
Well, Johnny, I had rather see you dead
I've been to the East and I've been to the West
I've traveled this wide world around
I've been to that river and I've been baptized
So take me to my burying ground
So take me to my burying ground
John Hardy was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot down a man on the West Virginia line
You ought to seen old John Hardy getting away
You ought to seen old John Hardy getting away
Demo Videos
About This Song
John Hardy is a traditional murder ballad famously recorded by Doc Watson, whose powerful flatpicking and vocal delivery made it a bluegrass standard. The song tells the true story of a West Virginia man hanged for murder in 1894.