Hard Times (Come Again No More)

by Stephen Foster (1854)

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 drooping 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)

Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.

(Chorus)

X:1
T:Hard Times (Come Again No More)
M:2/2
L:1/4
Q:180
K:D major
D E | F2 F F | F A2 F | E D D>E | F2 B A | A2 F2 |
w:Let us | pause in life's | pleas-ures and | count its man-y | tears, while we | all sup
E D F>E | D4- | D2 D E | F2 F F | F A2 F |
w:sor-row with the | poor;_ There's a | song that will | lin-ger for- 
E D D>E | F2 B2 | A2 F2 | E D F>E | D4- | D2 ||
w:ev-er in our | ears; Oh | Hard times | come a-gain no | more_ ||
"Chorus"[|] F G | A3 A | A2 ^G A | B4 | A4 | d2 A2 |
w:Tis the | song, the | sigh of the | wear- | y, | Hard Times,
B2 A2 | F>F E D | E2 D E | F2 F F | F A2 F |
w:hard times, | come a-gain no | more! Man-y | days you have | ling-ered a- |
E D D>E | F2 B2 | A2 F2 | E D F>E | D4- | D2 |]
w:round my cab-in | door; Oh | hard times | come a-gain no | more.*