Hard Times
Charles Brown Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Before she passed away
Said "Son when I'm gone
Don't forget to pray"
'Cause there'll be hard times
Hard times oh yeah, yeah
Who knows better than I?
Well I soon found out
Just what she meant
When I had to pawn my clothes
Just to pay my rent
Talkin' about hard times
Hard time oh yeah, yeah
Who knows better than I?
I had a woman
Who was always around
But when I lost my money
She put me down
Talkin' about hard times
You know that hard times
Lord who knows better than I?
Yeah Lord yeah, one of these days
There'll be no more sorrow
When I pass away
And no more hard times
I said "No more hard times"
Yeah Lord who knows
Yeah Lord better than I




Before she passed away
Said "Son when I'm gone

Overall Meaning

Charles Brown's song "Hard Times" is a reflection of the difficulties and challenges that one encounters in life. The song begins with the singer's mother offering her advice that when she's gone, her son should not forget to pray because there will be hard times. The son eventually finds out what she meant when he has to pawn his clothes just to pay his rent, exemplifying the struggles of everyday life.


The song also tells a story of heartbreak when the singer has a woman who is always around when he has money but disappears once he loses it all, leaving him alone during the hard times. The song's repetition of "hard times" reinforces the central theme of the song; the struggles and difficulties of life.


One of the remarkable things about the song is the deep emotion that Charles Brown showcases in his delivery. The lyric isn't subtle, but Brown's voice injects significant meaning into the tune. The song was released in 1952 and became an instant hit. The song was also later covered by numerous artists, including Ray Charles and Eric Clapton.


Line by Line Meaning

Before she passed away
My mother, before she died


Said "Son when I'm gone Don't forget to pray"
Told me, her son, to continue praying even after she's gone


'Cause there'll be hard times
Because difficult times are inevitable


Hard times oh yeah, yeah Who knows better than I?
I know firsthand what hard times are and how they feel


Well I soon found out Just what she meant When I had to pawn my clothes Just to pay my rent
I realized the meaning of my mother's words when I had to sell my clothes for money to pay rent


Talkin' about hard times Hard time oh yeah, yeah Who knows better than I?
I know what it means to go through tough times and struggle


I had a woman Who was always around But when I lost my money She put me down Talkin' about hard times You know that hard times Lord who knows better than I?
I had a woman in my life who stood by me until I lost my money and she abandoned me during difficult times


Yeah Lord yeah, one of these days There'll be no more sorrow When I pass away And no more hard times I said "No more hard times" Yeah Lord who knows Yeah Lord better than I
I believe that one day, after I die, there will be no more pain or hardship and nobody knows it better than me




Writer(s): Noble Watts, Ray Charles Copyright: Unichappell Music Inc., Dare Music Inc.

Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Antonio

Mar 1, 1952 Charles Brown recording of "Hard Times" (Aladdin Records) debuted on the R&B Charts, stayed for 3 weeks and peaked at #7 (written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)

Myron Fagan

Less than 3K listens! End times folks, end times. Beautiful track. Thanks for posting.

C. F

Damn right! This type of music feels so good in our shitty digital age

Luc Benistant

Lieber and Stoller on their best. They are the best songwriters or better: record makers as they say themselves of the fifties. Beautiful song by Charles Brown. Read the book Hounddog, the autobiography of Lieber and Stoller. Love it!

Luc Benistant

A fantastic song, written and produced by Lieber and Stoller.

Quaalude Charlie

:) QC

More Versions