Hard Times Come Again No More 4-Part - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1745435

Hard Times Come Again No More

by Stephen C. Foster (1826-1864)

Foster, now known as ‘the father of American music’, from songs such as Camptown Races, Oh! Susannah, Swanee River, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, Beautiful Dreamer and over 200 others, died on January 13, 1864, at the age of 37, with only 38 cents to his name. His wife had left him and taken their child, and he died alone - possibly from suicide – in a cheap hotel in the Bowery, New York. He was broke, and suffering from alcoholism. His worn leather wallet contained a scrap of paper that simply said, “Dear friends and gentle hearts”, along with 38 cents in Civil War scrip and three pennies. The text of “Hard Times Come No More” proved tragically prophetic for Foster, as it was reported that he sang this song quite often in his last days.

Hard Times Come No More by Stephen Foster

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.

‘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.

‘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.