490. Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)

Stephen Collins Foster was born in 1826 in Lawrenceville, east of Pittsburgh, the ninth child of the family. He was a great pioneer of American music. HIs aim was to write music that would be widely understood by the common people. In particular, he wanted to transform the black-face minstrel songs, extremely popular at that time, by making them more tasteful and compassionate rather than mocking the slaves as such songs tended to do.

His first big hit was "Oh, Susanna," but he made little money out of it as it was widely pirated by music publishers. Some of his other popular songs, all written in the 1850s, were "Old Folks at Home", "My Old Kentucky Home", and "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair."

"Hard Times Come Again No More" was published in 1855. It was a comment on recent events in his own life, including his (temporary) separation from his wife, Jane, and the death of his closest friend as well as both his parents. He was also getting heavily into debt, taking advances from publishers and then finding he was unable to supply the songs he had promised them.

He died in 1864, one of his most popular songs, "Beautiful Dreamer," being published posthumously.

"Hard Times" was given a new lease of life in recent years when recorded by Bob Dylan. It has also been recorded by Mary Black, Nanci Griffith and, of course, Dan Samples.

For lyrics and chords of my songs, please see my website: http://www.raymondcrooke.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• song
• american
• stephen
• foster
• bob
• dylan
• request

[darioaspesani]

good!

[raymondcrooke]

@darioaspesani Thanks for watching.

[EstherNickleby]

I fell in love with this song after hearing Mustard's Retreat rendition. I should have known it was another fabulous Foster song!

[raymondcrooke]

@EstherNickleby He certainly wrote some good ones.

[derekeverett]

This is perhaps my favorite song of all time. You play it like I picture Stephen Foster himself would play it today. Have you seen Jacques Mees version of this song? He does an amazing version. I really liked Dan Samples version too - but it's gone now. I bug him about it from time to time. I hope you leave yours up!

[raymondcrooke]

@derekeverett Dan does tend to take his videos down, which is a nuisance because I often have links to his songs on my website. He has so much good music on his channel.

[raymondcrooke]

@mourningwoody67  Thank you.

[raymondcrooke]

Maybe he's mad at me!?

[MaxBunyanMusic]

Are you mad at Stephen Foster?

[raymondcrooke]

Thanks for your support.