Hard Times
Ray Charles(레이 찰스) Lyrics
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Fore she passed away
Said son when I'm gone
Don't forget to pray
Cause there'll be hard times
Lord those hard times
Who knows better than I?
Well I soon found out
Just what she meant
When I had to pawn my clothes
Just to pay the rent
Talkin' 'bout hard times
Lord those hard times
Who knows better than I?
I had a woman
Who was always around
But when I lost my money
She put me down
Talkin' 'bout hard times
Hard times
Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I?
Lord, one of these days
There'll be no more sorrow
When I pass away
And no more hard times
No more hard times
Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I?
The lyrics of Ray Charles's song "Hard Times" speak about the difficult times that the singer is going through, inspired by his own experiences. The song starts with the singer recalling his mother's words of advice about not forgetting to pray, implying the tough times that he must have been going through even before her passing. He then talks about how he had to pawn his clothes just to pay his rent, highlighting the dire conditions he was living in.
Further, he mentions the woman who was with him when he had money but left when he lost it, which might reflect a sense of betrayal he felt. The chorus of the song constantly repeats the phrase "who knows better than I?" indicating the singer's belief that he is not alone in experiencing hard times; he has faith that others have also faced tough times and therefore, he can overcome his difficulties.
Towards the end of the song, the singer expresses his hope that after he passes away, there will be no more sorrows and hardships for him. He states that he will not experience any hard times anymore, and this could either be interpreted as his belief in an afterlife or the idea that in death, there would be an end to his suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
My mother told me
The singer's mother warned him before her death with these things that he must know.
Fore she passed away
The warning came before she died.
Said son when I'm gone
The mother addressed the singer when she is gone.
Don't forget to pray
The mother wanted the singer to keep faith regardless of what he faces.
Cause there'll be hard times
The singer was warned that he would face unbearable difficulties.
Lord those hard times
The singer referred to his hard times and asked for assistance.
Who knows better than I?
The singer appealing for divine intervention regarding his trying times.
Well I soon found out
The singer indicates awareness that there would be hard times.
Just what she meant
The singer decrypts his mother's warning and understood what he meant to do.
When I had to pawn my clothes
The singer struggled financially, and his clothes were the only valuable item he could pawn.
Just to pay the rent
The singer used the money from the pawned clothes to pay his rent.
Talkin' 'bout hard times
The singer emphasizes his difficult situation.
Lord those hard times
The singer cries out to the Lord for help during his challenging times.
I had a woman
The singer speaks of his female companion.
Who was always around
The woman was someone who was always present.
But when I lost my money
When the singer becomes poor, the woman abandons him.
She put me down
The woman emotionally or verbally abused him during his difficult moments.
Hard times
The chorus reiterates the hardship the singer faced.
Lord, one of these days
The singer has hope that one day his hardship will end.
There'll be no more sorrow
The singer has hope for a sorrow-free future.
No more hard times
The singer's expectation for a better future.
Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I?
The singer still has faith and acknowledges God's power as the only solution to his tribulations.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RAY CHARLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brooklynntorline5117
My mother told me before she passed away,
Said, "Son, when I'm gone, don't forget to pray
'Cause there'll be hard times, hard times -
Who knows better than I?"
Well I soon found out just what she meant
When I had to pawn my clothes just to pay the rent;
Talkin' 'about hard times, hard times
Who knows better than I?
I had a woman, Lord, who was always around,
But when I lost my money, she put me down.
Talkin' 'bout hard times, you know those hard times,
Yeah, Lord, who knows better than I?
Lord, one of these days, there'll be no sorrow
When I pass away,
And no more hard times,
Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I?
Yeah, Lord, who knows better than I?
@Drummafolife
Anyone who's gone through some shit can definitely appreciate this song
@eee-eee-clap-clap2367
We all can...especially now with the Coronavirus!
@darylfitz4189
Or pushing shit out.
@darylfitz4189
I step in shit almost every day.
@cornbreadthug4627
Sometimes you don't have to be going through anything, you just want to listen to something that makes you remember your roots and the things you occasionally go through in life every step of the way, and shucks I'm only 20
@ashantizulu144
😂🤣🤣
@richardvaughan9994
Sitting here in the backyard looking into the sky and listening to this, the sun is going down, feels like heaven
@juancarlosfloresespina464
U WROTE IT!! I READ IT!! AND IM DOINGING THE SOME!! ..KEEP UR HEAD UP AND KEEP LISENING TO GREAT MUSIC!!!!!
@lyleswann6296
Right there with you.
@caseybrzostowski8332
Still listening in 2024. God rest this mans soul. Best music in history