This song, which is also known as "Hard Times Come Again No More", was written by Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) in 1854 and first published in 1855. Foster also wrote a number of other well-known songs, including "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races" and "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River").
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 falling at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.
Chorus
Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a word that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.
Chorus
I first heard this song at Biddy's in Glencolmcille and learnt it at the Hammersmith Irish Centre in London.
You can hear this song on the following albums:
Recordings of this song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09KO6uMhvfE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZPJiRuF0FA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YrfLnlrquo
Different versions of this song
http://ingeb.org/songs/letuspau.html
http://cattailmusic.com/Lyrics/HardTimes.htm
Information about this song
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Times_Come_Again_No_More
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200035606/default.html
Other songs in English | Songs in other languages
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