Lyr Req: Hard Times (Come Again No More)

Subject: hard times
From: declan
Date: 25 May 99 - 07:48 AM

Does anybody know the lyrics of the song "Hard Times" played by De Danann?

Subject: RE: hard times
From: harpgirl
Date: 25 May 99 - 07:58 AM

declan, If you mean the Stephen Foster tune Hard Times Come Again No More, it is in the DT...harpgirl

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 25 May 99 - 09:17 AM

Declan,

Go to the upper-right-hand corner of this page, where it says "Search the DigiTrad Database" In the white rectangle, type in [hard times] and then click on the Search button. The brackets [ ] tell the search engine to look for the entire phrase. You will get over 20 songs with those words in them. Number 19 or so is Hard Times Come Again No More.

Enjoy the music.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Jon W.
Date: 25 May 99 - 01:04 PM

De Danaan does a beautiful version of this Stephen Foster classic, although they ought to slow it down a bit - it's too melancholy a song to be sung up tempo.

Subject: RE: hard times
From: The Burren Ranger
Date: 25 May 99 - 06:29 PM

Declan, have you checked out the great version by the irish singer jerry Lynch on his Dolphin CD 'The Dimming Of The Day'? T.B.R.

Subject: RE: hard times
From: bbelle
Date: 25 May 99 - 09:02 PM

I like the version sung by the McGarrigle Family on the "Songs of the Civil War" CD ... moonchild

Subject: RE: hard times
From: declan
Date: 27 May 99 - 07:12 AM

Right, friends, thanks a lot

declan (Northern Italy)

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Frank of Toledo
Date: 27 May 99 - 11:54 AM

Emmylou Harris does a fine rendition on her acoustic album AT THE RYMAN, with the Nash Ramblers. There is also a very beautiful vocal & instrumental version on Bryan Bowers' 1990 Flying Fish album FOR YOU. Both of them are worth checking out.......

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Doctor John
Date: 29 May 99 - 07:54 AM

A good version on Stephen Foster's "Hard Times" is by Jodie Stecker and Kate Brisling on a fairly recent CD. Lots of hard times songs around: might make a good list sometimes. DrJohn

Subject: RE: hard times
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 29 May 99 - 06:26 PM

Suzanne Thomas does a wonderful version of it on Dry Branch Fire Squad's "Live at Last" cd (and can that woman ever play clawhammer banjo! Unfortunately she wasn't with the band when they played in Berkeley Wednesday night--but the band is really a showpiece for the wonderful talent of Ron Thomason, as singer, songwriter, instrumentalist [mandoline and guitar{his banjo frailing doesn't quite suck}], and--of course--comedian (a friend of mine came to the show to see the opening act of Carol Elizabeth Jones and James Leva; he complained about Ron's long comic interruptions of the musical flow--I didn't tell him about Mudcat because he'd just add to the anti-BS population). How many layers of parenthetical remarks did I manage to stuff into that sentence? --seed

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Tucker
Date: 29 May 99 - 10:52 PM

Ditto mary black and emylou, beutiful version

Subject: Lyr Add: HARD TACK COME AGAIN NO MORE (parody)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 May 99 - 12:19 AM

I found this on a fascinating Civil War music site called Songs of the Union.

Hard Tack Come Again No More

Let us close our game of poker, take our tin cups in our hand
As we all stand by the cook's tent door
As dried monies of hard crackers are handed to each man.
O, hard tack, come again no more!

CHORUS: 'Tis the song, the sigh of the hungry:
"Hard tack, hard tack, come again no more."
Many days you have lingered upon our stomachs sore.
O, hard tack, come again no more!

'Tis a hungry, thirsty soldier who wears his life away
In torn clothes--his better days are o'er.
And he's sighing now for whiskey in a voice as dry as hay,
"O, hard tack, come again no more!"
--CHORUS

'Tis the wail that is heard in camp both night and day,
'Tis the murmur that's mingled with each snore.
'Tis the sighing of the soul for spring chickens far away,
"O, hard tack, come again no more!"
--CHORUS

But to all these cries and murmurs, there comes a sudden hush
As frail forms are fainting by the door,
For they feed us now on horse feed that the cooks call mush!
O, hard tack, come again once more!

FINAL CHORUS: 'Tis the dying wail of the starving:
"O, hard tack, hard tack, come again once more!"
You were old and very wormy, but we pass your failings o'er.
O, hard tack, come again once more!

Subject: RE: hard times
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 30 May 99 - 02:45 AM

Joe, thanks for posting this: Hard Times is one of the songs the Born Once do: I've copied this and am gonna learn it and blow away the group. --seed

Subject: RE: hard times
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 02:25 AM

It's been a while since this thread floated to the top,

like the other two things in life that do, :-)

so since

Hard Tack Come Again No More

was mentioned in another thread, lets have another look..

:-)

Robin

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 01:37 PM

A site with the song, linked above, has died. here is another: Hard Tack
It has a midi, as if one were needed.

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Gypsy
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 10:58 PM

and there was also the parody, based on viagra........

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 11:27 PM

Hey Folkies--

Our own Kim C. does a beautiful rendition of the Stephen Foster version on the Mudcat CD set. Check it out; it inspired me to learn the song on my squeezebox--thanks, Kim! (Love that melancholy stuff...)

Lin

Subject: RE: hard times
From: LadyJean
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 11:58 PM

I don't know where you'd find it, and I don't know enough of the lyrics to be helpful. But Oscar Brand recorded a song called Hard Times, and it wasn't Foster's. Stephen Foster was a hometown boy after all.
At one of the last Smokey City folk festivals, we were rained out, and took refuge under a bridge. The musicians started playing Hard Times Come Again No More, and we all sang along. Five people sound like the Mormon Tabernacle choir under that bridge. It was a wonderful performance. I'm sorry you missed it.

Subject: RE: hard times
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 12:10 AM

The version by Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin is perfect. It made me appreciate everything they do a great deal more.

Subject: RE: hard times
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 01:12 AM

I have a Chinese "Hero" 8 bass Piano Accordion. Octave and a half keyboard.

Hard Times and Amazing Grace sound astonishly beautiful on it.

And for a faster piece, Me & Boby Magee.

Amazing just how much technique you can get from that little box.

Robin

Subject: RE: hard times
From: songs2play
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 02:41 AM

My favorite has to be Ralph McTell's version on National Treasure, but then again I'm biased.
The sheet music for Hard Times

Subject: RE: hard times
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 02:56 AM

I suppose it would be appropriate to refer to the well-known Stephen Foster song as Hard Times Come Again No More. There are a number of "Hard Times" songs in the Digital Tradition. I think they're related to each other, but not to the Stephen Foster song. Take a look at:

• Hard Times (Cheating)
• Hard Times of Old England
• Hard, Hard Times
• Hard Times in Dixie doesn't seem to be related
• And all these...

Subject: RE: hard times (come again no more)
From: Dani
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 03:29 AM

Judy Cook of FSGW does a wonderful, slightly different parody. Wish I could remember the words! Maybe if she ever drops in here...

Dani

Subject: RE: hard times (come again no more)
From: GUEST,Big Mick
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 12:42 PM

I love this song. Absolutely timeless.

Perhaps one of the very best renditions I have ever heard is by Tim O'Brien on his "Songs from the Mountain" CD.

One of the worst I have ever heard is by a Chicago area singer who shall remain nameless because I consider him a friend. He does it uptempo with a drum track.....almost a disco arrangement. I asked him if he ever listened to the lyrics or is he just mouthing them. Horrible arrangement.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: hard times (come again no more)
From: GUEST,Chip A.
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 01:24 PM

Jay Unger/Molly Mason do both Hardtack and Hard Times on their Civil War Classics cd.
Chip

Subject: RE: hard times (come again no more)
From: Sooz
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 04:32 AM

My favourite version is Ralph McTell - so thats two votes!

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HARD TACK COME AGAIN NO MORE
From: chico
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 05:38 PM

AIR --- "Hard Times, Come Again No More"

         C                               G          7   C
Let us close our game of poker, take our tin cups in our hand
F      C       Am       G7         C   (G7)
As we all stand by the cook's tent door
          C                7          Dm             C
As dried mummies of hard crackers are handed to each man.
F   C          G      7       C   (G7)
O, hard tack, come again no more!

          C          7          F C
'Tis the song, the sigh of the hungry:
             F    C    Am            G (7)
"Hard tack, hard tack, come again no more."
      C             7       Dm                C
Many days you have lingered upon our stomachs sore.
F   C          G            C
O, hard tack, come again no more!

'Tis a hungry, thirsty soldier who wears his life away
In torn clothes, his better days are o'er.
And he's sighing now for whiskey in a voice as dry as hay,
"O, hard tack, come again no more!"

'Tis the wail that is heard in camp both night and day,
'Tis the murmur that's mingled with each snore.
'Tis the sighing of the soul for spring chickens far away,
"O, hard tack, come again no more!"

But to all these cries and murmurs, there comes a sudden hush
As frail forms are fainting by the door,
For they feed us now on horse feed that the cooks call mush!
O, hard tack, come again once more!

CHORUS
'Tis the dying wail of the starving:
"O, hard tack, hard tack, come again once more!"
You were old and very wormy, but we pass your failings o'er.
O, hard tack, come again once more!

members.cox.net/uglyboy

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Hardtack was made of flour and water, shaped into a square biscuit. Other names include "worm castle", "sheet iron cracker", and "teeth duller". To eat it, you had to bust it up with your rifle butt or a handy rock; put it in your mouth and leave it there until it became soft(er). The staple "food" for both armies all through the war.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Times (Come Again No More)
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 08:41 AM

But I think the British Navy had it first...