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Hard Times Lyrics
There was a Camptown 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'd bet the whole damn world
And we're gonna make it yet to the end of the road"
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
That big machine is just a-picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were 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 Camptown 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 dolls, and sing
And pick up the 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
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'd bet the whole damn world
And we're gonna make it yet to the end of the road"
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, Bessie
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more
That big machine is just a-picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time
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
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
And pick up the dusty old horn and give it a blow
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, sugar
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more
Song Info
Submitted by
smallwonderrobot On Jun 28, 2011
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A song for our times. Beautiful.
I had a stupid argument with my wife about nothing, because we're both stressed about money, then I heard this song for the first time, having downloaded the album that night (though I now wish I bought the CD, check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Mz_imdISk&feature=related).
Anyway, this song came on, and I cried. "Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, honey, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind any more". I'm sorry, baby.
Thank you Gillian and David for soothing my life.
I think this song is about rural people exhibiting steely defiance, even as their way of life crumbles around them.
The Camptown man doesn't plow anymore because he no longer has any fields of any crops. He's lost them because of "factory farms." The only businesses left in his community are cigarette stores and check-cashing places. Walmart has shut everyone else down.
An absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful song. Thank you so much for it, Gillian and David.
I hear "camptown man" instead of "captain". One odd coincidence is that the author of "camptown races", Stephen Foster, also has a song called "Hard Times Come Again No More". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Times_Come_Again_No_More
For the uncertain line I believe the lyrics are "It's a mean old world, heavy in need..."
Also I think she says "lost that knack" or maybe "nag" and not "lost that black".
A friend just turned me on to Gillian Welch songs and I''m hooked. Love this song. I think you could read it both ways, the loss of family farms ,and it sounds like the way things were during the dustbowl. People would camp out on the outskirts of town ( camp towns) and work for local farmers, they were poor migrants just trying to stay alive. The lyrics: So come on you ragtime kings, and come on, you dogs, and sing... is how it was. Ok, that's my 2 cents lol Just joined : )
A friend just turned me on to Gillian Welch songs and I''m hooked. Love this song. I think you could read it both ways, the loss of family farms ,and it sounds like the way things were during the dustbowl. People would camp out on the outskirts of town ( camp towns) and work for local farmers, they were poor migrants just trying to stay alive. The lyrics: So come on you ragtime kings, and come on, you dogs, and sing... is how it was. Ok, that's my 2 cents lol Just joined : )
edited, thanks
The last word in the first verse is "row" not "road"...you plow a row :p
In the last verse I think she says ragtime kids.
Thanks for the lyrics.
I think Gillian is singing about the "Janus" effect, the 2sides of the coin unfolding in front of us, transformation: the guy is getting what he prayed for - it's the impetus behind the incredible music we get from ragtime, the mule & plow drop away and dusty horns are there to be picked up. Here it becomes also reminiscent of Dylan's Thunder Mountain - he dusts off an old trombone and blows regardless of all hard times containments up til mow!
I tried to edit the lyrics from road to row, couldn't change it but sailinshoes is definitely right. Also I think it's "muley cow", not "mule cow".
And on that topic, one minor thing that confuses me about this song is the camptown man's animal. It's referred to as a mule in the second line and again in the last verse, but also as a "muley cow", which means a hornless cow, not a mule.