John come home all in a wonder,
He rattled at the door just like thunder
"Who is that?" Mr Henley cried
"'Tis my husband! You must hide!"
Then John sat down by the fireside a-weepin',
An' up the chimney he got to peepin'
There he saw that poor old soul
Settin' up a-straddle of the pot-rack pole
Then John built on a rousing fire
Just to suit his own desire
His wife got out with a free good will,
"Don't do that, for the man you'll kill!"
Then John reached up and down he fetched him
Like a coon when a dog had ketched him
He blackened his eyes and then did better:
He kicked him out right on his setter
Then his wife she crawled under the bed
And he pulled her out by the hair of her head
"And when I'm gone, remember then!"
He kicked where the chinches had been
Now the law went down and John went up
He didn't have the chance of a yaller pup
They sent him down to old chain gang
For beatin' his wife, the dear little thing
Well John didn't worry, John didn't cry,
But when he got home he socked her in the eye
They took him back to the old town jail,
But his wife got lonesome and she paid his bail
Then the judge sent back, made him work so hard
He longed to be home in his own front yard
They kept him there and wouldn't turn him loose
I could tell you more about him, but there ain't no use