"Hard Hard Times"

No personal notes.

From the Canadian Journal for Traditional Music (1991), Omar Blondahl's Contribution to the Newfoundland Folksong Canon, by Neil Rosenberg;

"Hard, Hard Times" had likewise been collected by Peacock in several versions, one of which he had given to Doyle; Blondahi had sung the Doyle version on the radio and received a letter containing several additional verses from a man who told him his father had composed the song. Omar felt the melody "lacked the lilt that [he] thought it should contain" and so rewrote it. This has become the standard melody and text of the song, still widely known and performed in Newfoundland today. Its satirical social protest theme makes it a key text for Newfoundland singers and audiences.

From wikipedia;

"Hard, Hard Times" is a traditional Newfoundland folk song/ballad. There is an earlier version, from England, called "Rigs of the Times". The later version was written in 1936 at the time of the Great Depression by William Emberley of Bay de Verde and performed by Dick Nolan.

Emberley's verses, which passed quickly into tradition, are a local application of a pattern established by an 18th-century English broadside which ridiculed certain trades and later was often adapted to describe hard times. "Rigs of the Times" has been recorded by Shirley Collins, Martin Carthy, Maddy Prior and others. Steeleye Span recorded a related song from England after the Napoleonic Wars: "Hard Times of Old England".

So now I'm intending to sing you a song,
About the poor people how they get along.
They start in the spring and they work till the fall,
And when they clew up they've nothing at all,
And it's hard, hard times.

Poor fishermen, we been out all the day.
Come home in the evening full sail up the bay.
There's Kate in the corner with a wink and a nod,
Saying, "Jimmy or Johnny, have you got any cod?"
And it's hard, hard times.

Itis out with the jiggers the first of the spring,
And over the gunnel you can hear the line ring;
Perhaps lose a jigger, get froze with the cold,
And that's the first starting of going in the hole,
And it's hard, hard times.

When so much is caught it's put out for to dry,
'Twill take all your time for to brush off the flies;
They'll buzz all around and make trouble for you,
Then out comes the sun and it all splits in two,
And it's hard, hard times.

First comes the merchant to see your supply,
Saying, "The fine side of fishing you'll have by and by."
Seven dollars for large, six-fifty for small.
Pick out your West Indie, you've nothing at all,
And it's hard, hard times.

And then comes the carpenter to build you a house;
He'll build it so snug you can scarce find a mouse.
There's a hole in the roof, and the rain it do pour,
The chimney do smoke, and it's open the door,
And it's hard, hard times.

The baker has loaves, grow smaller each week.
The same for the butcher that weighs up your meat.
The weights they fly up and the scales they fly down,
And when it's all over you're short half a pound,
And it's hard, hard times.

Then come the doctor, the worst of them all,
Saying, "What's been the matter with you all the fall?"
He says he will cure you of all your disease.
When your money he's got, you can die if you please,
And it's hard, hard times.

The best thing to do is to work with a will,
For when it's all over you're hauled on the hill.
Hauled up on the hill, put down in the cold,
And when it's all over you're still in the hole,
And it's hard, hard times.

From The Canadian Encyclopedia;

Hard, Hard Times

"Hard, Hard Times." William James Emberley of Bay de Verde, NL, adapted an older song to describe the plight of Newfoundland fishermen during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

"Hard, Hard Times"

"Hard, Hard Times." William James Emberley of Bay de Verde, NL, adapted an older song to describe the plight of Newfoundland fishermen during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The collapse of international markets made it difficult to sell fish at any price, and for years many Newfoundlanders lived on the government dole of six cents a day. Emberley's verses, which passed quickly into tradition, are a local application of a pattern established by an 18th-century English broadside which ridiculed certain trades and later was adapted often to describe hard times. The Emberley version was recorded by Alan Mills (Folksongs of Newfoundland, 1958, Folkways Records FW-8771), and also by Dick Nolan, Omar Blondahl, Kenneth Peacock, and the Travellers. It was published by Gerald S. Doyle (Old-Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland, St. John's 1955), Blondahl (Newfoundlanders, Sing! A Collection of Favourite Newfoundland Folk Songs, St. John's 1964), Peacock (Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, Ottawa 1965) and Edith Fowke (The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs, Harmondsworth, England 1973). Sung as a lively waltz, its lyrics, as transcribed by MacEdward Leach in 1950, read:

So, now I'm intending to sing you a song,
About the poor people, how they get along;
They start in the Spring and they work till the Fall,
And when they clew up they have nothing at all.
And it's hard hard times.

It's out with the jiggers the first of the Spring,
And over the gunwale you can hear the lines ring;
Perhaps now the jigger gets froze with the cold,
And the first of the starting of going in the hole.
And it's hard hard times.

Then out with the traps and the trawls likewise,
Perhaps get a quintal good start for a voyage;
You'll fill up with spirit and work with a will,
Next morning a drifting you're in the hole still.
And it's hard hard times.

When so much is caught it's put out for to dry,
And then comes the labour to keep off the flies;
They will buzz all around and make trouble for you,
And out comes the sun and splits it in two.
And it's hard hard times.

In comes the schooners go get your supply,
It's a good price this summer you'll make a good buy;
Seven dollars for large and five for your small,
Pick out your West Indies and wait till the Fall.
And it's hard hard times.

Then comes the carpenter to build you a house,
He will build it so snug you can scarce see a mouse;
There's a hole in the roof and the rain it will pour,
The chimney will smoke and it's open the door.
And it's hard hard times.

Next comes the doctor the worst of them all,
He says what's the matter with you all the Fall;
He says I will cure you of all your disease,
And when he gets your money you can die if you please.
And it's hard hard times.

Now all you good people you'll work with a will,
For all of us soon will be hauled on the hill;
It's there they will lay us down deep in the cold,
And when you are finished you're in the hole still.
And it's hard hard times.

The wtv-zone website has several references, with videos from Dick Nolan, Wonderful Grand Band (sung by Ron Hynes), and Jack Slade, as well as a page dedicated to the variant sung by Mike Kent of Cape Broyle, NL collected by MacEdward Leach.