There also seems to be one contemporary musician (genre: pop-jazz?) recording under the name Stephen Foster. His albums and tracks appear on this page.
Hard Times Come Again No More
Stephen Foster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.
Chorus:
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Oh hard times come again no more.
2. While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.
3. There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.
4. Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.
Stephen Foster's song Hard Times Come Again No More is a lamentation of the struggles of those who live in poverty. The lyrics begin by invoking the listener's empathy towards those who are suffering and urges the listener to pause in their own pleasures and take stock of the many tears that are shed by the poor. The song urges the listener to pay attention to the suffering of others and to remember that their own good fortune can be taken away from them as easily as it was bestowed. The melancholic lyrics continue by highlighting the toll that poverty takes on individuals; their suffering may be silent, but their pain is palpable. The chorus repeats the message that hard times should never return and that we should work towards relieving the suffering of those around us.
Foster's song is a poignant commentary on the human condition and remains relevant to this day. The song acknowledges that in the face of struggle, we are all equally vulnerable and that we must work together to ensure the well-being of all. The song's enduring popularity is a testament to its stirring message and its ability to comfort and inspire.
Line by Line Meaning
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
Let's take a moment from enjoying our lives to acknowledge the struggles of others and recognize their suffering.
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
We all share in the pain and hardship experienced by those less fortunate than ourselves.
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
This difficult time will leave a lasting impression on us, and we will always remember the struggles we and others have faced.
Oh Hard times come again no more.
We hope for an end to these hard times, and that the future will bring better days.
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
This song expresses the exhaustion and weariness felt by those who are experiencing hard times.
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
We appeal for relief from these difficult circumstances, and ask that they do not return.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
These hard times have persisted for a long time, and it feels as if they are always present in our lives.
Oh hard times come again no more.
Again, we hope that these hard times will come to an end.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
While we look for happiness and enjoyment in life, we must remember that not everyone is able to do so.
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
People are struggling and suffering, and we need to be aware of their struggles even if they are not immediately visible.
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Even if people do not speak out about their hardships, we can often tell that they are struggling just by looking at them.
Oh hard times come again no more.
Again, our hope is for an end to these difficult circumstances.
There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
There are people who work hard every day just to survive, and this work takes a toll on them.
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
After experiencing so much hardship, it can be difficult to maintain hope or to look forward to a better future.
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Even those who may appear happy on the surface are often struggling and suffering in silence.
Oh hard times come again no more.
Once again, we hope that these hard times will come to an end.
Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
This song and its message of hardship and suffering has become a universal sentiment that is recognized even in other parts of the world.
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
The pain and suffering caused by hard times is so great that it can even be heard in the sounds of the world around us.
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
This sentiment is echoed even in the mourning of the dead, as people remember the struggles and hardships that came before.
Oh hard times come again no more.
Once again, we hope for an end to these difficult circumstances.
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AmmoniteDragon
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave
'Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
'Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
@Captain-Sum.Ting-Wong
Stephen Foster was a legend of American music and culture. Doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
@Salamon2
Agreed, the problem is he belongs to that culturally problematic musical period of minstrelsy which while being very inspirational, causes some people to cringe in reflection, so like slavery and blackface, he gets swept under the rug rather than discussed.
@obamna666
What are you talking about? Everyone knows his songs
@mymyrrah
Everyone knows the songs, not the man
@ritaibershoff3062
@@Salamon2 <
@FNA4E
In fact he gets negative recognition. A mural with his image was taken down because some people believed he was racist. Seriously who would not have been considered racist in the 1800s??!
@vintagebrew1057
"There are frail forms fainting at the door"
Chilling words in a beautiful song. Foster was a great songwriter. We used to sing many of his songs at school in the East End of London during the 70's. My music teacher must have been a fan.
@robertbertagna1672
stephen foster should be taught in american history great part of early america thank you sir.
@jamesmorgan7023
He is in my class :)
@asif_mojtoba
I discovered Stephen Foster today. These Quarantine Lockdown days have their own perks, I guess. Finding these gems randomly!