Hard Times
David Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You wrote me an easy 50
That’s something we could talk about
What you thought then
And what came about

You said it was hard to leave me
You never would have thought
The day we would end

The day you would press send

I had a hard time, not spending time with you
I had a hard time, not spending time with you
Just hanging out, in a way that felt true
I had a hard time, not spending time with you

You liked that we met in a bar
You liked I let you drive my car
You liked how I laughed
And how I talked about you

My blues eyes spoke to you
You said it was with love
I didn’t care
I just wanted you there

I had a hard time, not spending time with you
I had a hard time, not spending time with you
Just hanging out in a way that felt true
I had a hard time, not spending time with you

I spent a few years trying
To make myself a new life
Looking back
I wish you were my wife

I don’t know what went wrong
Why I’m singing this old song
I don’t care
I wish you were still there

I had a hard time, not spending time with you
I had a hard time, not spending time with you
Just hanging out in a way that felt true
I have a hard time

I have a hard time
I have a hard time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Fathead Newman's "Hard Times" describe the difficulties and challenges of living in poverty. The song begins with a recollection of the singer's mother, who has passed away, advising him to pray during difficult times. He then goes on to describe the hardships he has faced, specifically having to sell his clothing in order to pay rent. The lyrics also touch on the theme of betrayal, as the singer explains that even his partner left him when he lost his money.

Line by Line Meaning

My mother told me, before she passed away
Just before my mother passed away, she advised me

Said son when I'm gone don't forget to pray
She instructed me to keep praying even after her death

'Cause there'll be hard times, hard times, oh yeah
She warned me about the tough times ahead

Who knows better than I?
My mother had experienced hard times and was trying to prepare me for them

Well, I soon found out, just what she meant
I eventually understood her warning

When I had to pawn my clothes, just to pay my rent
I had to sell my clothes to afford my rent

Talkin' 'bout hard times, hard times, oh yeah
I experienced the tough times my mother spoke of

Who knows [Incomprehensible] better than I?
No one else could understand the difficulties I was going through like my mother did

I had a woman, Lord, who was always around
I had a supportive partner in my life

But when I lost my money, then she put me down
When I faced financial struggles, my partner abandoned me

Talkin' 'bout hard times, you know those hard
Once again, I was experiencing the hardships my mother had warned me about

Yeah Lord, who knows better than I?
I understood the difficulties of life more than anyone else due to my experiences

Yeah Lord, yeah, one of these days
I believed that one day things would get better

There'll be no more sorrow, when I pass away
I hoped that after my death, my loved ones would find peace

And no more hard times, I said no more hard
I longed for a world without the struggles I had faced

Yeah Lord, who knows, yeah Lord, better than I?
I believed that no one could understand the hardships of life like I did

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: David Deacon, Andy Ryan, Eddie Bullen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@royJazzzz

I love this album. It's got that great Ray Charles feeling going on

@Bd-vl2ft

2y↑2

Got married to this song. More good times than hard times, but the song always brings us back to that day. Magical.

@Iknowknow112

1y↑2

Ray’s solo is so elegant with such articulate phrasing.

@mfreeman313

11y↑22

Great tune that deserves to be better known.

@pondersoa8223

9y↑14

DAMN.... i wish there was something like this today

@davedoyle9623

7y↑1

I do too Pond,,,I do too ,,I really do,,,

@mikelauerman7684

...and me too...an Alto player, favorite piece here. Have it by the Crusaders, but always dug the 'Fathead'...

@squarephantom661

DAMN... is a good album

@multimartinmusic10

11y↑6

Philly boy here too. Remember Mr. Swing and Mr. Soul on Friday nights, with alternating cuts by Sinatra and Ray Charles? This is a great example of Fathead on alto, and he is the reason I play tenor.

@bruceyettra2451

10y↑7

One of the greatest Alto Saxophone songs!

@matthewgrigsby1154

Yup its a Tenor, my bad

@drstevenmweiss

7y↑5

No, it's an alto--trust me. The second solo is a baritone--no tenor on this track.

@davedoyle9623

Matthew he blew it on an alto

@larrymoore5274

MOST OF THE TIME WHEN HE PLAYED TENOR WITH RAY. BUT ON THIS SONG CALLED HARD TIMES HE PLAYED ALTO. IF YOU ARE A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL SAXOPHONIST AS MYSELF WHO PLAYS TENOR ALTO, SOPRANO, AND FLUTE YOU WOULD DEFINITELY KNOW THIS IS AN ALTO. SAW HIM LIVE QUITE A FEW TIMES AFTER HE LEFT RAY PLAYING THIS SONG EVERYTIME ON ALTO. ONE MORE THING CHECK OUT RAY PLAYING ALTO SAX. I PROMISE YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING HE WOULD PLAY EVERY NOW AND THEN. GOGGLE IT. JUST SAY RAY CHARLES PLAYING SAXOPHONE.

@customkey

11y↑10

Ten o clock every week night on 96.5 WHATfm back in the '60s. Anybody else from Philly? Remember Joel Dorn?

@JBCo2012

7y↑2

customkey This was his theme song correct. I met him in NYC at a Bonnie Bramlet concert in the 2000's I suppose. Real nice man.

@lenperrone485

6y↑2

sure do remember, Stu Chase , Joel Dorn, Sid Mark and Joe Hunter. Will never forget Joe Hunter's theme song was the score to The Deadly Affair by Quincy Jones, I feel in love with Jazz listening to WHAT later WWDB

@andyc.3893

Joel Dorn, AKA Rondo H. Slade, The Masked Announcer.
The "H" stands for "Humility'" :-)

@psonderman

8y↑8

Sassy, sweet tone doesn't grow on trees. And the chart is to die for.

@lmstearn

Absolutely! A mix like that, and who needs stereo?

@YoungBlood335

10y↑41

I was actually given the sheet music to this piece from Fathead himself. At least the changes, he wrote them out for me by hand & faxed them to me.

@benjaminbarnett6412

7y↑7

wow, any chance you can make those public?

@themusicaldoctor6107

7y↑4

I would also love to have it!!!

@fneeley8125

Frame that puppy and put it on the wall! So cool!

@philippegambini6297

16w

Hi, I just read your comment...what lucky you are ! Is it some chance to get a copy ?

@toddmerriss

6y↑6

Thank you very much for having this song. I hadn't heard it in like at least 10 or 15 years, and I completely forgotten that Ray Charles accompanied fat head on the piano. Amazing pianist. Master bluesman! I also love the way that fat head sounds.

@Psycho1nsane

11y↑10

Absolutely fantastic, RIP Newman

@JonesySmith

11y↑6

awww man, found this years ago...love it love it love it:))

@srercrcr

9y↑5

Saw David, Hank, Ray, Margie and all the clan in '62 and '63. Amazing!

@charlesh3823

10y↑18

An opening theme song on WHAT FM. Does anybody remember Rick Friedman, who was one of the jocks at this station before he went to Atlantic Records. I used to go out to the station when I was a young pup, and sit in while he played music. He'd hook me up as a 13 year old to got the matinee shows at the Showboat, and Peps in South Philly, and Aqua Lounge in West Philly, where I watched musicians play while drinking soda. What a trip!

@JBCo2012

7y↑6

Charles h I don't know who Rick Friedman is or was but Joel Dorn at WHAT FM used this as this theme song and later worked at Atlantic Records most notably with Roberta Flack, Bette Midler, Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws etc.

@roccopep

2y↑1

@@JBCo2012 Correct this was the theme song for that broadcast I have the vinyl LP

@RichardSalvucci

Yup. Joel Dorn used it as a theme. And lots of aspiring boppers at least learned the head.

@maxineweldon8200

I have this Album,my goodness it sounds so good,

@ElectronicsUSA

11y↑5

My favorite recording by David "Fathead" Newman. Many thanks for posting this!

@bigboi1953

5y↑1

I REMEMBER THAT I GUESS THATS WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE I WAS LISTEN TO WRTI THE OTHER DAY AND SAY I REMBER THAT THANKS MY HISTORY COMES BACK

@xxczerxx

2y↑3

Absolutely beautiful song. I'm going through this at the minute on saxophone - the first three phrases (so from 1:14 to 1:31) are extremely difficult, they're so damn fast. Very determined to learn it though, it has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard on an alto saxophone.

@RadRussian01

11y↑4

this is awesome

@davedoyle9623

7y↑2

David at his best,,,,this tune nails it,,,,

@coachblwilliams

10y↑3

It was years before I found this recording but I grew up with playing on the new "Hi-Fi". Grew up in Yeadon so I remember Joel Dorn on WHAT as well as Friday's Frank. Like Sinatra to this day.

@victorypj

9y↑1

Yeah man, I remember George Jenkins and Mr. Will groovin to 96.5 back in the day!

@pondersoa8223

9y↑2

Brian Williams YOOOOOO WEST PHILLY HERE!!!!!

@coachblwilliams

Melvin Jenkins It's been too many years Melvin. How are you?

@rudbeckie1

PRIMA PRIMISSIMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@geraldmason293

Yes, I remember Joe adorn he just to come on 10 o’clock every night and he would start off playing David fathead Newman hard times

@Hd21578

8y↑2

nice

@Sunshinepati

❤️

@GeorgeWhitney

9y↑8

Aw shucks now!!!! What music was meant to be like!

@potatopatato6610

You said it!

@byron358

11y

my fav. also. I'm looking for Tin Tin Deo on the sane album,

@taylorfusion

2y↑1

Dang, is that Ray Charles soloing?

@willardlaturiuw6681

David Newman - hard times
faka mi matty

@ssippiredd6740

9y↑2

The Combination Since Red Beans & Rice N Surely Fathead Is The Redbeans/Ssippi Redd

@beechbeauty

Trying to figure out where I have heard this before. I heard a version randomly on Music Choice by David Sanborn and was like why do I know this song?

@beechbeauty

I absolutely love it

@missbritt288

Wasnt he portrayed in the ray Charles bio pic ??

@jacekr2655

4y↑1

Who actually wrote Hard Times?

@roccopep

Ray Charles

@drbob456x

10y

Sidemen?

@soldmysoulfodablues2446

10y↑5

David Newman Tenor, Ray Charles Piano, Edgar Willis Bass, Milt Turner Drums, Marcus Belgrave Trumpet, Hank Crawford Baritone Sax the tune was written by Atlanta piano player Paul Mitchell.

@drbob456x

10y

Thanks. I knew about Ray and Hank but not the rest.

@bstumpel

8y↑2

+Bob Stockton Marcus Belgrave (tp); David Newman (as!), Hank Crawford (bs), Ray Charles (p), Edgar Willis (b), Milt Turner (ds). Arranged by Hank Crawford. Recording engineer: Tom Dowd.

@rgbearb

8y↑1

Many thanks for giving my dear friend Paul Mitchell a heads up. It is really a great tune and performed by the masters at their best. No one else has mentioned Paul's contribution.