Hard Times Coming

[asktunes]

Very cool song & video Ron!! Love this footage & the song sounds like it came straight from the dusty vaults of 1930s....

[RonIrelandmusic]

@asktunes Thank you, Angel. I was going for that old-timey sound.

[WillieBoDave]

Great video production. Helps tell the story very well. Nicely done. Looks like you've done this a couple times. This song tells a great story, that just happens to be coming around full circle again. Great job.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@WillieBoDave Thanks for listening, Dave.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@CharmedQuarkZ99 I took the neck off, put a shim in to fix the neck geometry, then put in a bone saddle to replace the plastic one, and sanded it down to a comfortable playing level.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@CharmedQuarkZ99 This is an old one, the 6830E, very pretty and easy to play.

[marycigarettes]

beautiful authentic folk music...love the vocal delivery,and the song reflects the mood of times for so many people.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@marycigarettes Ain't it true? Zeitgeist. Thank you for listening.

[tonygrimsley]

awesome song

[RonIrelandmusic]

@tonygrimsley Thanks for listening.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@CharmedQuarkZ99  hello

[Ottawarocket]

I love this song , you have written a masterpiece here Ron, and I love the sound of that 1971 Epiphone , Right on Brother

Rocket

[RonIrelandmusic]

@Ottawarocket Thank you, Rob. Some things get better with age, like guitars, and, um, I forget.

[RevelingInReverie]

Absolutely love this, Ron. The video is a perfect fit, and that Epiphone sounds pretty darn good. :)

[RonIrelandmusic]

@RevelingInReverie Thank you for watching, and the Epiphone is a sweet old guitar

[suuzzee5]

This is a seriously fine song, Ron. 

[RonIrelandmusic]

@suuzzee5 Thank you, Suze

[About2Rain]

This penetrates my soul and stirs all the emotions that dwell within me.

Hard times are all around us just as they were for our ancestors. I believe hard times make our lives richer, though some would disagree. You have the depth of an "old soul" as your music so eloquently expresses.

Donna~

[RonIrelandmusic]

@About2Rain Thank you, Donna.

[bigeeezy]

Suze guided me here

I respect her taste

Great stuff my friend :))

[RonIrelandmusic]

@bigeeezy Thank you for listening.

[profwaldo]

Earlier I mentioned a song containing the words "rocks in my pockets".

I'm so ashamed to admit I forgot that it was written by my favorite singer-songwriter,

John Prine. The song was Flashback Blues. I hope I can forgive myself... ;-(

[profwaldo]

Well that's just Too Cool Ron ! Thank You so much !

And congratulations to the real, legit winner, Nancy. :-))

And to Art...., but especially to me. ;o)

Thanks again ! Now, about that great guitar n' song... :-)

[RonIrelandmusic]

So, here's the deal: the game is over (yay, Nancy!), but for being such troupers, I'll send a CD to Art and to the Prof. If y'all just message me your addresses and I'll get a CD in the mail to you. Thank you very much for listening.

Warmest regards,

ron

[profwaldo]

...but, but...wait, I found one more guess in my pocket !

The Hobbit.

But I ain't gonna' tell ya' why, you'll hafta' figure it out yourself.

Here's a hint tho'...You're first guess will be wrong. ;o)

Okay...I'm done. No, Really ! Great song Ron !!! :-))

[RonIrelandmusic]

@profwaldo I can't even begin to guess...and Google let me down: yes, I cheated!

[profwaldo]

@RonIrelandmusic What a coincidence... I kinda' did too. I mean, who/what the hell's UGK !?! ;-)

Besides, I think that's why god made google.

[nllleonard]

Beautiful sounding song. Basking in the warmth of the epiphone....really love the mellow and rich tones. Hey, seventy-one wasn't that long ago now. ;) Have been pondering those lyrics...so much to think about there. Beautiful, thoughtful, thought-provoking. Wonderful, in fact! I will guess...The Hollow Men, by T. S. Eliot.

NAncy

[RonIrelandmusic]

@nllleonard We have a winner! There are two literary allusions in this song (that I remember), one is to "The Hollow Men", T.S. Eliot. The other is to Virginia Woolf, who put stones in the pockets of her dress before walking into the Ouse river.

[nllleonard]

@RonIrelandmusic

Seriously?! Woohoo!! I can't believe I guessed right! I was actually reaching hard, trying to come up with something for the stones.

Did not think of Virginia.

Well, that was the most fun I have had in a while, Ron! ;) I'm going to go rest my tired brain. ;)

(Beautiful song!) NAncy



[profwaldo]

Hey Ron, there's no prize and some might even consider it a penalty, but you and your song have managed to garner more long drawn-out comments from me than anyone else on youtube has. That's quite an accomplishment considering long comments are kinda' my unofficial trademark. The nice thing for me is that every time I make another comment I get to listen to this great song one more time. btw. I usually inject some stupid remark or humor into my comments. Well I'm sorry but I'm bout outa' charact

[profwaldo]

Okay, I'm about to concede having never been one to actually seek out great works of literature. I'd just stumble upon one now n' then. I was always too busy drawing, sculpting...., buildin' something. Having said this I will make one more guess and I think it's a good one. As a matter of fact, By golly I think I've got it or at least one of them.

" Grapes Of Wrath "....." final answer ". ;-)

[RonIrelandmusic]

@k33cky Thank you very much for listening and for the compliment.

[artforartssake1]

The literary allusion is perhaps to Charles Dickens's 'Hard Times'...? Surely, it can't be any of the novels (or films) called 'Hollow Man' - I can't see the connection in the latter case. Anyway, just trying to solve the riddle... greetings from The Netherlands,

Art

by the way: nice song, nicely played and sung! and that's what really counts... :-)

[RonIrelandmusic]

@artforartssake1 Hello, Art! Thank you for listening, and for guessing, and for your kind compliment. Greetings to you from Virginia,

ron

[artforartssake1]

the literary allusion is perhaps to Charles Dickens's 'Hard Times'...?

[RonIrelandmusic]

@artforartssake1 No, not Dickens, Art, but you did remind me that I put two literary allusions into this song. My memory is soooo bad. I'll pay up as promised for either of them. No one has guessed correctly yet, but the guesses are brilliant.

[Cameragirl803]

Glad you posted this up on the tube! Love this song, and the video is so fitting with it!

Bravo!! Thanks to Suze for passing this my way;) *****

[RonIrelandmusic]

@Cameragirl803 Thank you for listening!

[archtopbrownie]

Very very powerful. Thanks to Suze for sending me.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@archtopbrownie Thank you!!

[suuzzee5]

Oh, and I see Wally's been here a few times. )))

[RonIrelandmusic]

@suuzzee5 He has, and I dig it. Thanks for sending folks by to hear the song, Suze.

[suuzzee5]

@RonIrelandmusic My pleasure. It's an absolutely wonderful song.

[profwaldo]

@suuzzee5 Twernt nobody left no bread crumbs on the trail for me to follow neither.

I'm pretty proud of me cuz I done found my way here all on my lonesome.

That's cuz I'm a pretty fart smella, yup. ;-)

[suuzzee5]

@profwaldo Wally, you're hilarious.

[suuzzee5]

That 1971 Epiphone 6830E is one sweet guitar, and this is one very, very fine song. Don't know if I ever told you, but the first time I heard you sing this, I thought it was a Woody Guthrie song. You sing your own and Woody's songs to perfection. These lyrics and melody are hauntingly beautiful, and your video is wonderful. This song always makes me feel inexplicably sad and empty, and I'm pretty sure I know the literary reference but since I already have the CD... ))

[RonIrelandmusic]

@suuzzee5 Thank you. I do love the sound of that old Epiphone. It has more cracks on its face than I do, but it sounds so pretty.

[suuzzee5]

@RonIrelandmusic *You* crack me up!

[profwaldo]

There's a great story about a man who kept rocks in his pockets.

He put a rock in his pocket everytime something angered him to remind him not to forget his anger, eventually the rocks beacame too much to bare and he had an epiphany that changed his life. It's a great story by Larry Hiller.

Now if that ain't what you're alluding to, and I may be way off even goin' with the "stones in my pocket" line, I have one more guess...

The story of David and Goliath ? Okay, my brain hurts, I'm done.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@profwaldo Prof, that's a great story, and one I didn't know, but I will look it up. Thank you for pointing me toward it. I never even thought of young King David. I'll bet you can get it.

[profwaldo]

Wait a minute, didn't Dylan have a song with the words,

"I got rocks in my pockets..." Dang, my memory is usaully pretty good, just short.

[RonIrelandmusic]

@profwaldo No, not Mr. Dylan either. :)

[profwaldo]

I'm hearin' lots of songs along these lines on youtube lately.

Guess I ain't the only one " feelin' it ".

This was an OUTstanding song Ron, love the sound of that guitar and your vocals are fantastic not to mention the great lyrics. This is already a classic in my book !

Nice work Ron, truly a work of art !!! I love it !

Anything to do with "pocket full of stones" by UGK ?

[RonIrelandmusic]

@profwaldo Thank you very much for listening, and for your compliment. Ain't that a sweet sounding old guitar?

All the best,

ron

Nope, not UGK.