hard times come again nomore
hard times come again nomore let us pause in life's pleasures, and count it's many tears;
 while we all sup sorrow with the poor.
 there's a song that will linger, forever in my ears, oh! hard times, come again no more! chorus there's a song, a 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! 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, she's singing all the day, oh! hard times, come again no more! there's a sigh that is wafted,across the troubled wave, there's a wail that is heard upon the shore;
 tis a dirge that is murmured, around herlonely grave, oh! hard times, come again no more.
while we seek mirth and beauty, and music bright 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.
 ------------------------------------------ this version is from the singing of len neary and margaret walters on my album 'apres la guerre'.
 this song is generally attributed to stephen foster, although he says he 'collected' and learned the song from one of his 'servants' -slaves-eliza, who said the slaves sang this song as a hymn at church services.
 the war museum of the boer republics in bloemfontein, s.
a.
 told me that this song, along with the american civil war song 'tramp tramp, tramp' was sung by boer women and children at a concert in a british concentration camp--and I think it is perhaps even more appropriate to remember this usage of the song than as just a 'good harmony song'.