Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American si… Read Full Bio ↴Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. His music is often (perhaps inappropriately) placed under the genre of "alt-country". Oldham has recorded under many names, including Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, and Bonnie Billy. He often plays and records with other musicians, including David Pajo and his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham, but is generally the chief creator of the music. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as Amalgamated Sons of Rest, The Anomoanon, The Boxhead Ensemble, Tortoise, and The Sundowners as well as releasing his first solo album in 1993. Oldham has said that the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker has many references. These include 'Bonnie' Prince Charlie, an 18th century Jacobite; Billy the Kid, the 19th century American outlaw also known as William Bonney; and the American singer Nat King Cole. He has also appeared in several films, such as the 1987 film Matewan and most recently in Old Joy (released in late 2006). He is also the photographer of the cover image of the slint album Spiderland.

Hard Life
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And it's a hard life
For a man with no wife
Babe, it's a hard life
God makes you live

But without it
Don't doubt it
You don't even have

Your tears to give

I wake up and I'm fine
With my dreamings still on my mind
But it don't take long, you see
For the demons to come and visit me

And I've got my problems
Sometimes love don't solve them
And I end each day
In a song

And it's a hard life
For a man with no wife
Lord, it's a hard life
God makes you live

But without it
Baby, don't doubt it
You don't even have
Your tears to give

I know I'm a hard man
To live with sometimes
Maybe it ain't in me
To make you a happy wife of mine

Maybe you'll kill me
Honey I don't blame you
If I was in your place
Maybe that's what I would do

But I ain't breathing, let me breathe
Let me go, let me leave
I don't know, but I might lose
I might bum, might blow a fuse

So let me go
Lay it down
On my own
Let me drown

Let me go
Go where you don't know

Overall Meaning

The song "Hard Life" by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy talks about the struggles and challenges of life, particularly for a man who has no wife. The first few lines of the song suggest that life is tough, and living without a partner can make it even harder. God makes you live, but without a wife, you don't even have your tears to give. Loneliness can be overwhelming, and it can take a toll on a person's mental health. The singer wakes up fine, but soon after, the demons come and visit him, which can be a metaphor for negative thoughts, depression, or anxiety.

The second stanza delves a little deeper into the singer's life, highlighting that even love may not solve his problems. He ends each day in a song, which might be his way of coping with the challenges he faces. However, life can still be hard for him, and without a partner, he doesn't even have someone to share his tears with. Additionally, the singer acknowledges that he's a hard man to live with, which suggests that he might have issues with social relationships. He even goes on to suggest that his partner might kill him, but he doesn't blame her, as he would probably do the same if he were in her place.

Overall, the song talks about the difficulties of life, particularly for someone who is alone. It highlights that people face mental health challenges, and even love may not solve all their problems. It's a poignant and melancholic song that portrays the struggles of life and relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

And it's a hard life
Life is difficult

For a man with no wife
A man without a wife struggles even more

Babe, it's a hard life
It's a tough life, dear

God makes you live
Living is a gift from God

But without it
However, without living

Don't doubt it
Don't question it

You don't even have
You won't even possess

Your tears to give
The ability to cry

I wake up and I'm fine
I usually wake up feeling okay

With my dreamings still on my mind
With my dreams still fresh in my head

But it don't take long, you see
But it doesn't take long, as you can imagine

For the demons to come and visit me
For my personal demons to surface

And I've got my problems
I have my difficulties

Sometimes love don't solve them
Love isn't always the solution

And I end each day
Each day concludes

In a song
With a song, as a form of expression

Lord, it's a hard life
Lord, it's a hard life

But without it
But without living

Baby, don't doubt it
Don't question it, dear

You don't even have
You won't even possess

Your tears to give
The ability to cry

I know I'm a hard man
I'm aware that I can be difficult

To live with sometimes
At times, it can be tough to live with me

Maybe it ain't in me
Maybe I'm not capable

To make you a happy wife of mine
To make you my happy wife

Maybe you'll kill me
Perhaps you will end up killing me

Honey I don't blame you
I won't hold it against you

If I was in your place
If I were in your shoes

Maybe that's what I would do
Perhaps that's what I would do

But I ain't breathing, let me breathe
But I'm not dead, let me live

Let me go, let me leave
Allow me to go, to leave

I don't know, but I might lose
I'm not sure, but I could end up failing

I might bum, might blow a fuse
I could very well mess up, lose control

So let me go
So let me go

Lay it down
Put it aside

On my own
By myself

Let me drown
Allow me to drown

Go where you don't know
Go somewhere unfamiliar

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Will Oldham

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01The Way3:48

02Ain't You Wealthy, Ain't You Wise?4:12

03Master and Everyone3:40

04Wolf Among Wolves3:47

05Joy and Jubilee2:45

06Maundering3:05

07Lessons From What's Poor3:41

08Even If Love3:24

09Three Questions3:14

10Hard Life3:34

PT3M34S

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@jagangeorge3734

5y↑13

And it's a hard life
For a man with no wife
Babe, it's a hard life
God makes you live

But without it
Don't doubt it
You don't even have
Your tears to give

I wake up and I'm fine
With my dreamings still on my mind
But it don't take long, you see
For the demons to come and visit me

And I've got my problems
Sometimes love don't solve them
And I end each day
In a song

And it's a hard life
For a man with no wife
Lord, it's a hard life
God makes you live

But without it
Baby, don't doubt it
You don't even have
Your tears to give

I know I'm a hard man
To live with sometimes
Maybe it ain't in me
To make you a happy wife of mine

Maybe you'll kill me
Honey I don't blame you
If I was in your place
Maybe that's what I would do

But I ain't breathing, let me breathe
Let me go, let me leave
I don't know, but I might lose
I might bum, might blow a fuse

So let me go
Lay it down
On my own
Let me drown

Let me go
Go where you don't know

All comments from YouTube:

@reversesignal

6y↑11

I still remember that that spring evening filled with water balloons. finger painting, dancing and of coarse BPB. My tears and soul have dried, miss you B.

@arkx.5365

5y↑1

Wow.☺

@TikiCreations

4y↑11

I was really into Bonnie Price Billy when I was just out of high school. I got really into Bob Dylan and Tom Waits and other story song writers, and he fits that bill so easily. Now that I'm in my 30's and divorced with kids and living a vagabond lifestyle in order to make my bills and pay child support and still have food to eat at the end of the day, I'm revisiting songs like this with a whole new appreciation for what this man has to offer