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Intro:
D E D E D E D E
Verse
D E F#m
It's of two noble butchers, as I have heard men say
E E7
Started out from London, all on a market day
A D A E E7
And as they were a-riding as fast as they could ride
E D E F#m
'Oh, stop your horse,' says Johnson, 'for I hear some woman cry'
D E F#m
'I will not stop,' says Wilson, 'I will not stop,' says he
E D E
'I will not stop,' says Wilson, 'for robbed we shall be'
Verse
A D A E E7
Johnson, he got off his horse, searched the woods all 'round
A D E F#m
And there he spied a woman with her hair pinned to the ground
D E F#m
'How came you here, dear woman? How came you here fast bound?
E E7
How came you here this morning, with your hair pinned to the ground?'
A D A E E7
'They robbed me, they stripped me, they left me here fast bound
A D E F#m
They left me here this morning, with my hair pinned to the ground'
D
May god keep all good people
E
May god keep all good people
F#m D E A D F#m E
May god keep all good people from such bad company...
Verse
D E F#m
Then Johnson, he being a valiant man and a man of courage bold
E E7
He took his coat from off his back to keep her from the cold
A D A E E7
And as they were a-riding as fast as they could ride
A D E F#m
She put a whistle to her mouth and she gave three shivering cries
Verse
D E F#m
Up jumped three bold and swaggering men with swords all in their hands
E E7
Who then commanded Johnson, commanded him to stand
A D A E E7
'I'll stop, I'll stand,' says Johnson, 'as long as I can stand
A D E F#m
For never was I, in all me life, afraid of any man'
D
May god keep all good people
E
May god keep all good people
F#m D E A D F#m E
May god keep all good people from such bad company...
Instrumental
A D F#m E
Verse
D E F#m
Oh, two of them he quickly slew and the third he did not mind
E E7
Till the false young woman took a knife and stabbed him from behind
A D A E E7
Poor Johnson he spun round about and he fell down to the ground
A D E F#m
And he cursed that wretched woman who gave him his death wound
Verse
D E F#m
Now the day it being a market day, there were people travelling by
E E7
Who saw the awful murder, who saw poor Johnson die
A D A E E7
Now Johnson he was a valiant man, and a valiant man was he
A D E F#m
May god keep all good people from such bad company
D
May god keep all good people
E
May god keep all good people
F#m D E A D F#m E
May god keep all good people from such bad company...
Outro
A D F#m E
A D F#m E
A D F#m E