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.
Seventh Son
Tim Hardin Lyrics
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let me tell you about my sweet wife, shes the sweetest thing in my life. seems to make my life worht while because i'm the one, i'm the one they call the seventh son. yes i'm the one....
let me tell you about the seveth son in the whole world he's the only one, i'm the one, i'm a one they call the 7th son. i'm the one, i'm the one they call the seventh son.
Tim Hardin's song "Seventh Son" tells the story of a man who believes he is the only seventh son in the world, possessing supernatural abilities to predict the future and sense infidelity. The song's lyrics are simple and repetitive, emphasizing the man's confidence in his powers and his pride in being the only one of his kind. He describes his wife as the sweetest thing in his life, implying that his powers have not alienated him from human connection.
The song's focus on the seventh son legend reflects the longstanding tradition in folklore and mythology that the seventh son of a seventh son is blessed with special gifts and powers. The song's protagonist clearly embraces this belief and revels in his unique position as the only seventh son in the world. His abilities to foretell the future and sense infidelity are presumably part of this folklore tradition.
The song's repetitive lyrics and simple melody suggest a folk tradition, and the subject matter reinforces this idea. The seventh son has a long history in folklore and mythology, and this song can be seen as part of that tradition. Hardin's gentle guitar picking and understated vocals emphasize the song's folky, mystical qualities.
Line by Line Meaning
let me tell you about the seventh son in the whole world he's the only one
I want to talk to you about a rare individual known as the seventh son who is the only one of his kind in the world.
i'm the one, i'm a one they call the 7th son
I am that seventh son who possesses unique abilities and talents.
i can tell your fortune, when its gonna rain, if your woman's with another man
I have a gift to predict the future, whether it's related to upcoming rain or detecting infidelity in your relationship.
yeah, yeah, i'm the one....
I confidently affirm that I possess these extraordinary skills and abilities.
let me tell you about my sweet wife, shes the sweetest thing in my life
I also have a loving spouse who brings immense joy to my life every day.
seems to make my life worht while because i'm the one, i'm the one they call the seventh son
Her presence makes everything in my life worthwhile and reinforces my identity as the seventh son.
yes i'm the one....
Once again, I confidently assert that I am indeed that unique seventh son.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SYLVESTER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind