Johnny Hart,
he was a desperate little man,
carried a gun and a razor every day.
Cut down a man on the
free state line,
you ought to have seen
Johnny Hart getting away.
Poor boy, you ought to have seen
Johnny Hart getting away.
Johnny Hart made a run for
that free state line,
there he thought he'd be free.
But a man come a -walkin',
and he grabbed him by his arm
Singin', Johnny walk along with me,
poor boy, Johnny walk along with me
Johnny Hart,
he wrote his mammy and his dad
Singin', come here and go my bail
But money wouldn't go
his murdering charge
So they laid Johnny Hart back in jail,
yes Lord, they laid Johnny Hart back in jail
Now the first one to visit
Johnny Hart in jail
was a girl with a rag on her head
Said, I never thought I'd
live to see you in a jail
I believe I had rather see you dead,
Johnny Hart
I believe I had rather see you dead
Now the next one to visit
Johnny Hart in jail
was his loving little wife so brave
Said, I'd rather to see you
in your winding sheet
And to see you on that long rattling chain,
great God, to see you on that
long rattling chain.
Johnny Hart, he stood in his jail cell,
and the tears running down from his eyes
said, I've been the death of
a many a deputy, sure,
but my six -shooter never told a lie.
God knows, my six -shooter never told a lie.
I have run to the east,
I have run to the west,
run just as far as I can.
If I ever get loose from this ball and chain,
I'm gonna make it for that
free state line,
great God, make it for that
free state line.
You've got guards to the east,
got guards to the west,
got guards this whole world round.
But before I'd be a slave,
I'd rot in my grave.
You can take me to my hanging ground,
Mr. Jailer, take me to my hanging
ground.
You