Intro:
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Verse
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It's of two noble butchers, as I have heard men say
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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
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And there he spied a woman with her hair pinned to the ground
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"How came you here, dear woman? How came you here fast bound?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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A D F#m E
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