Friday 29 May 2020

My Top Ten Hard Times Songs



Without realising he'd done it, Charity Chic threw down the gauntlet yesterday when he chose three fine songs about Hard Times.

Here's another ten... and I still had to leave out the Human League! Sorry, Brian. (I also had to leave out Kiss, but I imagine you'll be less upset by that.)


10. Run DMC - Hard Times

Gotta start with this one as it has the perfect opening lines...

Hard times spreading just like the flu
Watch out homeboy, don't let it catch you

9. Paul Simon - Love & Hard Times

One of those lyrics that only Paul Simon could get away with.

God and His only Son
Paid a courtesy call on Earth
One Sunday morning
Orange blossoms opened their fragrant lips
Songbirds sang from the tips of Cottonwoods
Old folks wept for His love in these hard times

"Well, we got to get going, " said the restless Lord to the Son
There are galaxies yet to be born
Creation is never done
Anyway, these people are slobs here
If we stay it's bound to be a mob scene
But, disappear, and it's love and hard times

8. Public Image Limited - Hard Times

The slogan will take you like lemmings to the cliff
You'll feel better than ever, and into the abyss

Every crack every crevice will be sanitised
There'll be no more war, there'll be no more choice

7. Jimmy Buffet - There's Nothing Soft About Hard Times

We never knew anything groovy.
A dime meant bread, and not a movie.
The muscles that control my smile were rarely ever used.
'Cause there's nothing soft about hard times.


Last time I had a brand new hat
The people thought the world was flat


Time was I could sell all I grew at the shop
When Tesco's turned up all of that had to stop
Now I can't make a living out of my crop
Singing oh the hard times of old England


You're watchin' the news. It all looks bad.
The worst half-hour you ever had.
What in God's name is goin' on?
All I can do is play this song.


Hollywood lies piled up to the sky
Floating your way soon
Hope you like the rotten stench of doom

And everybody knows these are rock hard times
I gotta make it through
These are rock hard times


Written by Curtis Mayfield, but I prefer the Baby Huey version.

Eatin' Spam and Oreos and drinkin' Thunderbird baby

1. John Mellencamp - Hard Times For An Honest Man

From the times when John Mellencamp could do no wrong.

And he hates the cold-bloodedness
That runs inside




2 comments:

  1. Good stuff Rol
    Baby Huey was one which did not make my final cut

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dearie me - fit a depressin' place this is on a Friday.

    I'm too lazy to go looking for hard times, so instead I'll quote a line or two from The Dan's "Hey 19"

    Hey, nineteen
    That's 'Retha Franklin
    She don't remember the Queen of Soul
    It's hard times befallen
    The sole survivors
    She thinks I'm crazy
    But I'm just growin' old

    ReplyDelete

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