What is john hardy songs?

John Hardy was a folk ballad that was first sung by the people of Appalachia. The ballad tells the story of a man named John Hardy who kills a man in a fight and is then sentenced to hang. Over time, the lyrics of the ballad evolved to include different variations of the story, with some versions emphasizing the violence of John Hardy's character and others depicting him as a hero or martyr. The ballad has been recorded by various artists over the years, including Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and Bob Dylan, and remains a popular folk song to this day.