Jack Hardy is "a more literate Celtic Townes Van Zandt, grave in his tone a… Read Full Bio ↴Jack Hardy is "a more literate Celtic Townes Van Zandt, grave in his tone and generous in his ideals, as rooted in the present soil and sky of Ireland and America as he is fascinated by the legends of the past" (Roy Kasten, St. Louis Riverfront Times, February 3, 1999).

It is a strange mix of themes ranging from the American West to the ballads and jigs of Celtic ancestors that somehow seems to make sense in the musical world Jack Hardy has created. And it is a separate world to which the listener is transported; a timeless place inhabited by tinkers and cowboys, saints and sinners, elves, virgins and crones. From his extensive travels and reading he has forged an endearing non-academic approach to literature, one that is more at home in the pub than in the classroom. "He clearly seems to enjoy making his listeners think. He may dare his audience to figure out what he is saying, but he also credits them with the intelligence to do so" (Tom Nelligan, Dirty Linen, 1998).

In Europe, where Hardy has toured extensively for over 20 years, he is accepted as an ambassador for American music. In an Italian encyclopedia of rock Jack has a larger entry than many prominent rock stars.

"Nothing adventuresome is created in a vacuum," Jack says, "you get people together and the creative sparks fly." The weekly songwriters workshop which he has hosted for many years taught and nurtured countless songwriters, not the least of which are Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Shawn Colvin, Richard Shindell and David Massengill. The Fast Folk Musical Magazine, which he founded and edited, released the first recordings of most of the artists currently headlining folk festivals. This collection of over 100 compilation albums has now been taken over by the Smithsonian.

Gregarious and outgoing when talking about his songs and songwriting in general, Jack fiercely guards the privacy of his personal life. Jack Hardy was born in Indiana, his father a musician, his mother a painter. He grew up in New York, Colorado, and Connecticut, studied opera and literature in college.

In 1998, Prime CD reissued his first ten albums in a box set as well as his eleventh album The Passing. In 1996, BCN Records released a tribute album The Songs of Jack Hardy: Of the White Goddess, a collection of his Celtic ballads (all sung by women). In 1997, Jack was the recipient of The Kate Wolf Memorial Award, given yearly to "an artist who makes a difference through his music" by the World Folk Music Association. In 2000, Prime CD has released Jack's twelfth album Omens.

Omens was recorded live to 24 track analog in two days, using the vintage recording equipment of Prime CD's Theater 99 recording studio in New York City, with no overdubs. The fourteen songs range from the uptempo Celtic "Sile na gCioch" where a tinker finds a dress on the side of the road and gives it to a young lass, to the majestic "West of Dingle" where a woman faces a choice between her lover and her fiddle; from the biting barrage of juxtaposed media images of "I Ought to Know" to the romantic ballad "Only One Sky" and back to the uptempo humorous Clancy Brother-ish "The Boney Bailiff." This album takes you on quite a musical voyage with some of Jack's best poetic imagery, but it is the sweeping beautiful melodies that carry these songs directly into your memory. The players include Jack's current touring band: Tom Duval on electric guitar and harmony (also heard on Jack's albums The Hunter and Civil Wars), Mike Laureanno on Hofner bass and harmony, Dave Anthony on Drums (also heard on Jack's album The Passing), and Kate MacLeod on fiddle. The album also features a buried bonus track containing 19 minutes of Suzanne Vega interviewing Jack on the subject of songwriting. Hardy's 16th album, Rye Grass, arrived on Great Divide in 2009. Jack Hardy passed away on March 11, 2011.

source and more infos: http://www.jackhardy.com/

I Can't Love You
Jack Hardy Lyrics

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I can't love you if you won't let me
If you find reasons to drive me away
I can't love you like heaven sent me
To fix the seasons and make them stay

Through all the falling leaves like another
Lost of their color, piled in the way
Walk with abandon kicking the summer

Flies in the face of talking this way

Goldenrod withers, turns brown and broken
And fields of vision turn dark and gray
For I have spoken these words of feeling
I have my own dreams that have blown away

Can't find the shutter to freeze the feeling
Bright in vermilion that maple-leaf day
Stammer and stutter, vagrant and reeling
That one-in-a-million that came to stay

Now and forever this velvet cover
Over the hourglass as time runs away

I can't love you more than forever
And still find the reasons to make you stay

Overall Meaning

Jack Hardy’s song "I Can't Love You" talks about the challenges of loving someone who seems to have made up their mind about not allowing that love to flourish. The lyrics are raw and honest as they explore the limitations and frustrations of a one-sided love. The singer admits that he can’t love this person if they won’t let him, but at the same time, he acknowledges that they appeared in his life like heaven sent him to fix the issues in his life.

The verse that talks about the fallen leaves is a metaphor for how things in life come and go, and even though it might be painful to let go, it is important to keep moving forward. The imagery of the goldenrod fields, once vibrant and full of life, turning brown and broken, depict the inevitable changes in life that are difficult to accept. The singer also admits that he has his own dreams that have blown away, which adds vulnerability to the song.

Overall, this song is about the struggle of trying to love someone who won’t allow it, and the pain that comes with it. It touches on the inevitable changes in life and the importance of accepting them.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't love you if you won't let me
If you're not open to receiving love, I can't give it to you.

If you find reasons to drive me away
If you're constantly pushing me away or giving me reasons to leave, I can't love you.

I can't love you like heaven sent me To fix the seasons and make them stay
I can't love you with such intense passion and commitment that I can control everything around us to keep us together.

Through all the falling leaves like another Lost of their color, piled in the way
Despite the obstacles and difficulties we may face, just like a pile of dead leaves on the ground.

Walk with abandon kicking the summer Flies in the face of talking this way
We should enjoy the present moment without worrying too much about the future, despite the harsh realities of life.

Goldenrod withers, turns brown and broken And fields of vision turn dark and gray
Winter is inevitable and will always come, no matter how much beauty there is in the world.

For I have spoken these words of feeling I have my own dreams that have blown away
I've shared my emotions and feelings with you, but I've also had my own dreams and aspirations that have been shattered or unfulfilled.

Can't find the shutter to freeze the feeling Bright in vermilion that maple-leaf day
It's impossible to hold onto the happiness and joy of a single moment forever, no matter how much we want to.

Stammer and stutter, vagrant and reeling That one-in-a-million that came to stay
Sometimes, we may struggle to fully express our love or feelings for someone who we know is truly special and unique.

Now and forever this velvet cover Over the hourglass as time runs away
Time continues to move forward, and all we can do is enjoy the present moment while we still can.

I can't love you more than forever And still find the reasons to make you stay
Even if I love you with all my heart and soul, I can't force you to stay with me if you don't want to.

Contributed by Andrew P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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