Willy Porter is a contemporary American folk musician from Wisconsin. His c… Read Full Bio ↴Willy Porter is a contemporary American folk musician from Wisconsin. His career as a published singer began in 1990 with his album, The Trees Have Soul, although his popularity began in 1994 with his album Dog Eared Dream, which had the successful single Angry Words, and led to his touring as an opening act for artists including Tori Amos and The Cranberries. Recently, Porter opened for Jethro Tull, where he formed a friendship with Tull's guitarist, Martin Barre.

Hard
Willy Porter Lyrics

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Mama's in the tub, rub-a-dub-dub
Thinkin' about twistin' one up
Everybody here is down with the bug
Everybody here is frustrated

So you don't have to be so hard

Bottoms up, Dixie cup

Baby, you're the one I tried to love up
All by myself
You can spit in my face
I'll probably save you a place
Up high on the shelf

But you don't have to be so hard

Now you shine around my door
With nothing new to say
If you had the best intentions
You wouldn't leave things where they lay

Old enough to see
What makes your rockets fly
And how to make myself cry, to live better
Old enough to see the beauty of one tree
Growin' up to face the weather

So you don't have to be so hard
On us, we're hard enough on ourselves

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Willy Porter's song "Hard" formulates the picture of a frustrated and hopeless set of people. The lines "Mama's in the tub, rub-a-dub-dub/Thinkin' about twistin' one up" illustrate the suffering of the central figure, who has given up on life and its challenges. The word "bug" here refers to their predicament, which is pervasive and infectious, as nobody seems to be immune to it. They are lost in their sorrow, and as a consequence, they feel like they are alone, to quote "All by myself."

In the chorus, Porter calls out to these distraught individuals, asking them not to be harsh on themselves. He acknowledges their pain, their struggles, and their existence. He urges them to take a break from their self-blame and recrimination, urging them not to be "so hard" on themselves.

The second verse expands on the theme of resilience and keeping hope alive in times of adversity. Porter observes that the world might seem unyielding and unkind, but it is essential to light the candles of hope in such difficult times. He notes that some people sparkle, even though they have nothing new to say, simply because they have resolved to keep pushing ahead, no matter the circumstances.

Overall, "Hard" is a song of encouragement that urges listeners not to give up on life, no matter the difficulties. It is a call to keep pushing ahead and to be kind and gentle towards oneself, for life is hard enough without adding self-hate and self-loathing to the mix.

Line by Line Meaning

Mama's in the tub, rub-a-dub-dub
Mother is taking a bath

Thinkin' about twistin' one up
She is considering rolling and smoking marijuana

Everybody here is down with the bug
Everyone is feeling sick or depressed

Everybody here is frustrated
All are feeling annoyed and disappointed

So you don't have to be so hard
You don't need to be harsh on us

Bottoms up, Dixie cup
Drinking from a disposable cup

Baby, you're the one I tried to love up
Addressing an ex-partner

All by myself
Feeling alone

You can spit in my face
I will tolerate even abuse

I'll probably save you a place
I will still keep a position for you in my life

Up high on the shelf
Maintaining some distance from you