Hard Times (chord transcription)

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fakebook
- 2 posts
August 19, 2011 9:42 PM PDT

Written by Gillian Welch/Dave Rawling

(capo at 1st fret; C = Db)

C

                     F             C                  F           C

There was a Camptown Man, used to plow and sing

Am                       C                  F             C

And he loved that mule and the mule loved him

                 F         C             F         C
When the day got long as it does about now

Am               C                  F      C
I'd hear him singing to his mule cow

C

Calling, "Come on my sweet old girl, and I'd bet the whole damn world

C                                                                   G
That we're gonna make it yet to the end of the road"

             Am       C/B          F    C
Singing hard times ain't gonna rule my mind

Am          C/B           F    C
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, Bessie

Am            C/B           F           G    C
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more

Said it's a mean old world, heavy in need
That big machine is just a-picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time

So come all you Asheville boys and turn up your old-time noise
And kick 'til the dust comes up from the cracks in the floor

Singing, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, brother
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more

But the Camptown Man, he doesn't plow no more
I seen him walking down to the cigarette store
Guess he lost that knack and he forgot that song
Woke up one morning and the mule was gone

So come on, you ragtime kings, and come on, you dolls, and sing
And pick up the dusty old horn and give it a blow

Playing, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, honey
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, sugar
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more
JasonK
- Moderator
- 135 posts
August 20, 2011 1:06 PM PDT

Hard Times - Gillian Welch / David Rawlings
DR Capo 1 Am G F C

Am G F C (x4) C Am C F G
CHORUS Am G F C (x2) Am G F G C C

There was a Am Camptown G Man, used to F plow and C sing
Am And he loved that G mule and the F mule loved C him
When the Am day got G long as it F does about C now
Am I'd hear him G singing to his F mule C cow
Calling, C "Come on my sweet old girl, and I'd bet the whole damn world
That C we're gonna Am make it C yet to the F end of the G road"
Singing Am hard times G ain't gonna F rule my C mind
Am Hard times G ain't gonna F rule my C mind, Bessie
Am Hard times G ain't gonna F rule my G mind no C more

Said it's a mean old world, heavy in need
That big machine is just a-picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time
So come all you Asheville boys and turn up your old-time noise
And C kick 'til the Am dust comes C up from the F cracks in the G floor
Singing, Am hard times G ain't gonna F rule my C mind, brother
Am Hard times G ain't gonna F rule my C mind
Am Hard times G ain't gonna F rule my G mind no C more

But the Camptown Man, he doesn't plow no more
I seen him walking down to the cigarette store
Guess he lost that knack and he forgot that song
Woke up one morning and the mule was gone
So come on, you ragtime kings, and come on, you dolls, and sing
And C pick up the Am dusty old C horn and F give it a G blow
Playing, Am hard times G ain't gonna F rule my C mind, honey
Am Hard times G ain't gonna F rule my C mind, sugar
Am Hard times G ain't gonna F rule my G mind no C more
JasonK
- Moderator
- 135 posts
August 20, 2011 1:07 PM PDT

Banjo version

Hard Times - Gillian Welch / David Rawlings
GW Capo 1 Am G F C C E7
Banjo capo 6? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgMjO_hiqig />
There was a Em Camptown D Man, used to C plow and G sing
And he loved that mule and the mule loved him
When the day got long as it does about now
I'd hear him singing to his mule cow G
Calling, G "Come on my sweet old girl, and I'd bet the whole damn world
That G we're gonna Em make it G yet to the C end of the D road"
Singing Em hard times D ain't gonna C rule my G mind
Em Hard times D ain't gonna C rule my G mind, Bessie
Em Hard times D ain't gonna C rule my D mind no G more

Said it's a mean old world, heavy in need
That big machine is just a-picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time
So come all you Asheville boys and turn up your old-time noise
And kick 'til the dust comes up from the cracks in the floor
Singing, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, brother
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more

But the Camptown Man, he doesn't plow no more
I seen him walking down to the cigarette store
Guess he lost that knack and he forgot that song
Woke up one morning and the mule was gone
So come on, you ragtime kings, and come on, you dolls, and sing
And pick up the dusty old horn and give it a blow

Playing, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, honey
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, sugar
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more
gibsongirl
- 45 posts
August 21, 2011 1:22 PM PDT

Suparette store is like a corner shop in the coutryside.
sarahct
- 112 posts
August 23, 2011 6:07 PM PDT

Pretty sure it's
"Guess he lost that nag", meaning the mule, but I could be wrong. I definitely hear cigarette store, too.
gibsongirl
- 45 posts
August 24, 2011 5:17 AM PDT

i hear knack - maybe referring to the art of plowing without machinery?
sarahct
- 112 posts
August 24, 2011 7:35 AM PDT

Hmm, or knack for staying positive. My mind jumped to "cigarette store" and "nag," so it never occurred to me to listen for anything else. I'll have a close listen today. Perhaps the person who wakes up one morning to find the mule gone is the narrator, rather than the Camptown man. Hadn't thought of that.
gibsongirl
- 45 posts
August 24, 2011 8:10 AM PDT

my interpretation: it seems to hang together with the narrator saying "i guess". the narrator used to see him from the road but doesn't anymore so assumes/imagines that - he lost the knack and/or forgot the song and/or woke to find the mule had died...
gibsongirl
- 45 posts
August 24, 2011 8:12 AM PDT

isn't "nag" a bit of a negative word? - if so it might not really fit with the endearing terms given for the mule through the song...
sarahct
- 112 posts
August 24, 2011 4:55 PM PDT

I don't see it as having a negative connotation when actually referring to a mule, although I think it is more typical of an old horse.
sarahct
- 112 posts
August 24, 2011 4:57 PM PDT

I think it's "muley cow".
sarahct
- 112 posts
August 27, 2011 6:39 AM PDT

It IS superette store:)
sarahct
- 112 posts
August 27, 2011 6:51 AM PDT

Now I think it's "knack," too.
roscoe
- 2 posts
October 4, 2011 6:13 AM PDT

Hmm, i'm not a native english speaker, but i'm hearing "rue" in the chorus, especially if you listen at 1.23 into the song.
sponwed
- 41 posts
December 1, 2011 5:18 PM PST

sarahct said:
It IS superette store:)

I totally hear that too now. I also her knack pretty clearly I think.
sarahct
- 112 posts
December 1, 2011 5:57 PM PST

But I still hear "Berber Shore" and "you tell Muso, I'll tell Frank," and I might be alone in those two.
gibsongirl
- 45 posts
December 1, 2011 6:16 PM PST

agree with musso & frank. go here and have a look - this is a place in LA that definitely dave likes to go (gave an interview there we read, ate a plate of clams): http://www.mussoandfrankgrill.com/
sarahct
- 112 posts
December 2, 2011 5:53 AM PST

Ah, I knew I wasn't totally crazy when everyone else was reading "Rousseau". I'll note this on the "references" thread.
sarahct
- 112 posts
February 22, 2012 6:14 AM PST

What is Dave's guitar part (chords - I see them in the banjo tab but I can't figure out the timing). Also, in the banjo tab, is the 2nd line same pattern as 1st in verse?
JasonK
- Moderator
- 135 posts
February 23, 2012 9:39 AM PST

Thee first version I posted has Dave's chords. And or course the second line in the banjo follows the same chord pattern as the first line.
sarahct
- 112 posts
February 23, 2012 1:02 PM PST

This is the 1st song I'vr tried on banjo, so it's all new for me:)
sarahct
- 112 posts
February 25, 2012 8:09 AM PST

It looks to me like Dave is capo'd to 6 also?
JasonK
- Moderator
- 135 posts
February 26, 2012 8:35 AM PST

He switches a lot don' he? You ever seen that vid of WRECKING BALL where he changes his capo 3 times!?
sarahct
- 112 posts
February 26, 2012 9:00 AM PST

I remember reading something (maybe AG or FJ?) where he said he uses the capo to compensate for his lack of technical ability. I think he may have different standards than I do...:)
gibsongirl
- 45 posts
February 27, 2012 10:21 PM PST

you can hear the capo bounce on the floor when he finally chucks it down onto the stage