There was a camp town man, used to plow and sing
And he loved that mule and the mule loved him
When the day got long as it does about now
I'd hear him singing to his mule cow
Calling, "Come on my sweet old girl, and I'll bet the whole damn world
That we're gonna make it yet to the end of the row"

Singing "Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, Bessie
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more"

Said it's a mean old world, heavy in need
And that big machine is just picking up speed
And we're supping on tears, and we're supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time
So come all you Asheville boys and turn up your old-time noise
And kick 'til the dust comes up from the cracks in the floor

Singing, "Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, brother
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more"

But the camp town man, he doesn't plow no more
I seen him walking down to the cigarette store
Guess he lost that knack and he forgot that song
Woke up one morning and the mule was gone
So come on, you ragtime kings, and come on, you dogs, and sing
And pick up a dusty old horn and give it a blow

Playing, "Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, honey
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, sugar
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more"


Lyrics submitted by pomegranatesROCK, edited by smallwonderrobot, GDW

Hard Times Lyrics as written by Gillian Howard Welch David Todd Rawlings

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Time (The Revelator) song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

20 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +6
    General Comment

    I think it's about Gillian Welch coming to realise that most of her songs are about times and situations that she's not experienced herself. Therefore, though she's in love with the folk music of the '20s and '30s, she can't be considered an authentic voice ("I'm a pretender, I'm not what I'm supposed to be"). She hopes she is doing the music justice ("But who could know if I’m a traitor? Time’s the revelator.").

    It is "They caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride". To catch the Katy is to jump onto one of the goods carriages of a moving train and hitch a free ride, common practice for those crossing the country looking for work duing the depression (the authentic voices). She's saying they experienced the real thing, she is left with only an echo of those times.

    I think it's "and all the spindles white", i.e. the waggon wheels used as decoration on houses, which are generally painted white. They're meant as tokens of rural authenticity, but ("everyday it's getting straighter"), that they're equally pretenders. She's tired of the pretensions and sets off for California, she no longer feels the need to live the rural life to write songs. Time's the revelator :)

    Paegaon August 24, 2005   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    The song is Welch's answer to the critics who labelled her unauthentic for her first two albums, saying she had no right to sing bluegrass cos she's from California. This song is her supremely eloquent reply that should have a few music journos jumping off cliffs from shame. nIt's the opening salvo to the best album ever and one that I still listen to daily.

    bearhunteron March 23, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    "They caught the Cady and left me a mule to ride "

    I believe this should be "They caught the Katy..." in reference to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Also a line the Taj Mahal song "she caught the Katy, and left me on a mule to ride"

    bluedogbeadson February 01, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think Paega's right on the money here. This song seems like Gillian's answer to her critics who question her "Appalachian authenticity" because of the fact she grew up as a California valley girl. "Who could know, if I'm a traitor? Time's the Revelator"...i.e...only time will tell if her songs will stand up to the classics of Ralph Stanley, Carter Family, etc...

    The line about the "Fortune Lady" could be a reference to Emmylou Harris, who was the first major artist to record one of Welch's songs (Orphan Girl). But maybe not ;)

    The line "watch the waves and move the faders" seems like a direct reference to recording in a digital type (Pro Tools) environment, where the audio waveforms actually move across the computer screen, and the faders are the volume sliders on the mixing console. This once again points out the collision between "then" (when records were sung into one mic, straight to acetate disk) and "now". But waves also serve as a double reference, with their more obvious meaning being the California ocean.

    The last two lines are particularly revealing, and are sung (especially live) with quite an edgy, somewhat bitter tone. "Queen of fakes, and imitator"...almost as if those are the vicious words coming straight out of a critic's mouth.

    This is a heck of a song, lyrically AND melodically. David Rawlings has one of the keenest sence of harmony I've ever heard. He perfectly comlements Gillian on this tune.

    jtharrison October 19, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i feel extremly stupid because i have not a clue what these lyrics mean. BUT i fell in love w/ Gillian Welch when i heard this song cause it's the first on her cd.. then , i found this AMAZING live accoustic version of this song w/ Ryan Adams and Gillian Welch. wow. it's fantabulous... the harmonies... and the guitar... perfecto.

    pomegranatesROCKon July 28, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hmm i never heard this song but i read the lyrics..

    i kind of seems in the beginning of the song, hes flashing back, and then in the middle of the song where he says "They caught the Cady and left me a mule to ride ". i guess someone kidnapped her, i don't know and he is lost without her.

    I dont know-- UYI

    UseYourIllusionon July 28, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I just discovered Gillian Welch, but becasue of this song I am hooked. She sings with deep emotion and tells a great story. This song has touched me more than just about any other to date. A must listen!

    Jackdata1128on August 03, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't know what all the lyrics mean, but the theme of the song, to me, is Time Reveals All. Verse 1 - Time reveals the person's intentions. Verse 2 - One's culture reveals her time(age). Have no idea what the rese means.

    Check out the rest of her music, she's awesome.

    leighannh2on May 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's about Gillian Welch coming to realise that most of her songs are about times and situations that she's not experienced herself. Therefore, though she's in love with the folk music of the '20s and '30s, she can't be considered an authentic voice ("I'm a pretender, I'm not what I'm supposed to be"). She hopes she is doing the music justice ("But who could know if I’m a traitor? Time’s the revelator.").

    It is "They caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride". To catch the Katy is to jump onto one of the goods carriages of a moving train and hitch a free ride, common practice for those crossing the country looking for work duing the depression (the authentic voices). She's saying they experienced the real thing, she is left with only an echo of those times.

    I think it's "and all the spindles white", i.e. the waggon wheels used as decoration on houses, which are generally painted white. They're meant as tokens of rural authenticity, but ("everyday it's getting straighter"), that they're equally pretenders. She's tired of the pretensions and sets off for California, she no longer feels the need to live the rural life to write songs. Time's the revelator :)

    Paegaon August 24, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's getting out. It's discovering that time is moving and everything doesn't always workout alright. I think she is trying to convey that it s easy to glorify time, but when it comes to it, times a revelator.

    Jstraw2001on May 27, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.