Hard times here, hard times over yonder

Don’t the stars shine pretty my love

Blood runs deep, souls run deeper

They rise as high as heaven above



My father, he died in the cane

Of what, they’re still not certain

They said that he felt no pain

But my poor mother, she’s still hurtin’



My wife, she stands by me

Though I know so many times I let her down

She knows the kind of man I want to be

And she knows that I’d be lost without her now



Hard times here, hard times over yonder

Don’t the stars shine pretty my love

Blood runs deep, souls run deeper

They rise as high as heaven above



I wonder about the meaning of it all

And I wonder, will the crazy people win

What will happen when I refuse to crawl

Will they stand aside and let a brother in



Hard times here, hard times over yonder

Don’t the stars shine pretty my love

Blood runs deep, souls run deeper

They rise as high as heaven above



To me it’s all the same

I need no explanation

Come the sun or come the rain

Come the Great Emancipation