Hard Times Come Again No More

"Hard Times Come Again No More" is an American folk song written by songwriter Stephen Foster and first published in 1854.^[1] The Longest Johns released their version on 20 October 2021 as the first single from their album Smoke + Oakum, on which it is track 1. A radio edit known as the "Sugar Free Mix" was released 15 April 2022; it was edited for length and features a slightly different mix than the original.

Factoids

Foster based the melody on one he'd heard as a child in an African-American church in Lawrenceville, PA.^[2]

The song was widely popular throughout the United States in the latter half of the 19th century, spawning numerous parodies including a Civil War-era version attributed to Union soldier Josiah Fowler titled "Hard Tack Come Again No More".^[3]

The TLJ album version features fiddle playing by Sam Sweeney, but the fiddler seen in the music video is Alex Garden, who later also worked with the band on the Made of Ale Sessions recordings.

Lyrics

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh, hard times, come again no more

{Chorus}
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh, hard times, come again no more

While we seek mirth and beauty and music, light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh, hard times, come again no more

{Chorus}

There's a pale weeping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.

{Chorus x3}

Oh, hard times, come again no more
Oh, hard times, come again no more

Recordings

Streaming/Purchase

Smoke + Oakum version

Sugar Free Mix

Made of Ale version

YouTube Videos

Gig Videos

Full Band Streams

Chill Streams

Gaming Streams

[1] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Times_Come_Again_No_More

[2] ttps://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035606/

[3] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Tack_Come_Again_No_More

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