Friday

The Carter Family: John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man

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This song about a West Virginia coal miner comes from Harry Smith's legendary box set called Anthology of American Folk Music. Not only is the Anthology a treasure trove of early folk, blues, and string band music, but it served as an important influence on Bob Dylan and many artists to follow.

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

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