[madison10]

Hard Times Come Again No More by Stephen Foster. Covered by James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma and Mark O'Connor.

Song will be 160 next year. BTW, Stephen Foster was not a Southerner, not even Kentucky, he was from Pennsylvania.

[madison10]

Shoot, it LOOKED right.

1.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.

Chorus:

'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.

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.

Chorus

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.

Chorus

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.

Chorus

[Liberty Valance]

Lennon and Maisy - Hard Times Come Again No More

[G-Bear]

A wonderful song, by America’s FIRST musical superstar.

And very applicable to today.........

[jocon307]

There is also an excellent version by Mavis Staples on the album “Beautiful Dreamer - the Songs of Stephen Foster”.

You are right, it is a good song for right now.