[Intro]
Get away, get away
Get away, get away
Poor John

[Verse 1]
John Hardy was a fightin' man
Carried a razor ev'ry day
He killed a man in Mobile town
You ought to see my Johnny get away
Ought to see my Johnny get away

[Chorus]
Get away, get away, get away
Poor John

[Verse 2]
John Hardy was standin' at the bar
So drunk he could not see
Along came a man with a warrant in his hand
Cryin', "Johnny boy, why don't you come with me?
Johnny boy, why don't you come with me?"

[Verse 3]
John Hardy had a pretty little gal
Kept her dressed in blue
He saw her in the hangin' crowd
Cryin', "Johnny boy, I'll be true to you
Johnny boy, I'll be true to you
[Chorus]
True to you. true to you, true to you
Poor John"

[Verse 4]
I've been to the East, and I've been to the West
Been this whole world 'round
I've been to the North, and I lived in the South
This will be my buryin' ground
This will be my buryin' ground

[Verse 5]
I've been this wide world over
Been this whole world 'round
Been to the river, and I've been baptized
Take me to my buryin' ground

[Outro]
Get away, get away, get away