Tim Hardin (born Timothy James Hardin in Eugene, Oregon, USA on 23 December… Read Full Bio ↴Tim Hardin (born Timothy James Hardin in Eugene, Oregon, USA on 23 December 1941 – 29 December 1980) was an American folk musician and composer. He is best remembered for writing the top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter" covered by Bobby Darin and "Reason to Believe" covered by Rod Stewart, as well as his own uneven recording career.

Hardin dropped out of high school at age 18 to join the Marine Corps. After his discharge he moved to New York City in 1961, where he briefly attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He was dismissed because of truancy and began to focus on his musical career by performing around Greenwich Village, mostly in a blues style.

After moving to Boston in 1963 he was discovered by the record producer Erik Jacobsen (later the producer for The Lovin' Spoonful), who arranged a meeting with Columbia Records. In 1964 he moved back to Greenwich Village to record for his contract with Columbia. The resulting recordings were considered a failure by Columbia, which chose not to release them and terminated Hardin's contract.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1965, he met actress Susan Morss (known professionally as Susan Yardley)[1][2], and moved back to New York with her. He signed to the Verve Forecast label, and produced his first authorized album, Tim Hardin 1 in 1966. This album saw a transformation from his early traditional blues style to the folk style that defined his recording career. This LP contained "Reason To Believe" and the ballad "Misty Roses" which did receive Top-40 radio play.

Tim Hardin 2 was released in 1967 and contained one of his most famous songs, "If I Were a Carpenter".

An album entitled This is Tim Hardin, featuring covers of "House of the Rising Sun", Fred Neil's "Blues on the Ceilin'" and Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man", among others, appeared in 1967, on the Atco label. The liner notes indicate the songs were recorded in 1963-64, well prior to the release of Tim Hardin 1 by Verve Records. Tim Hardin 3 Live in Concert, released in 1968, was a collection of live recordings along with re-makes of previous songs; it was followed by Tim Hardin 4, another collection of blues-influenced tracks believed to date from the same period as This is Tim Hardin.

In 1969, Hardin again signed with Columbia and had one of his few commercial successes, as a non-LP single of Bobby Darin's "Simple Song of Freedom" reached the US Top 50. Hardin did not tour in support of this single and a heroin addiction and stage fright made his live performances erratic. Also in 1969 he appeared at the Woodstock Festival where he sang his famous "If I Were a Carpenter" song. He recorded three albums for Columbia — Suite for Susan Moore and Damion: We Are One, One, All in One; Bird on a Wire; and Painted Head — none of which sold well. His output as a songwriter decreased and eventually ceased during this period, a circumstance blamed on his ongoing drug problems.

During the following years Hardin moved between England and the U.S. His heroin addiction had taken control of his life by the time his last album, Nine, was released on GM Records in the UK in 1973 (the album did not see a US release until it appeared on Antilles Records in 1976). He died of a heroin and morphine overdose, and is buried in the Twin Oaks Cemetery in Turner, Oregon.

Moonshiner
Tim Hardin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been a moonshiner for many long years
And i spent all the money earned
Sitting by the whiskie and beer

I'll go to the groves babe
Have a drink with a friend
With no one to follow me
Keep in fact of where have i been

Where have i been?

God bless those pretty woman
They are all good friends of mine
Their breath is as sweet as dew on the night
Corn bread when i'm hungry
Corn liquor when i'm dry

If whiskie don't kill me now
I be here on earth till i die

Overall Meaning

In Tim Hardin's song "Moonshiner," the singer reflects on his years as a moonshiner, admitting that he spent all his earnings on whiskey and beer. He declares his intention to go to the groves and have a drink with a friend, but makes it clear that he wants to be alone and doesn't want anyone following him or asking where he has been. The singer then praises the women in his life, calling them "pretty" and "good friends," and noting their pleasant scent. He ends the song by expressing his reliance on corn bread and corn liquor when he is hungry or thirsty, and acknowledging the possibility that whiskey might kill him but insisting that he will be on Earth until he dies.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been a moonshiner for many long years
I have been making and selling illegal alcohol for a considerable period of time

And i spent all the money earned
I squandered all the money that I had made from selling moonshine

Sitting by the whiskie and beer
Drinking whiskey and beer while idling

I'll go to the groves babe
I will wander off into the woods

Have a drink with a friend
I will enjoy a drink with an acquaintance

With no one to follow me
Without anyone to observe my actions

Keep in fact of where have i been
I must keep track of my whereabouts

Where have i been?
Where have I wandered off to?

God bless those pretty woman
I appreciate and admire beautiful women

They are all good friends of mine
I consider all the pretty women to be my friends

Their breath is as sweet as dew on the night
Their breath smells as pleasant as the dew on a cool night