Hard, Hard Times

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"Hard, Hard Times" is a traditional Newfoundland folk song/ballad, adapted from an earlier English song, "Rigs of the Times" by William James Emberley. The song has been sung and recorded by a number of Newfoundland musicians.

Newfoundland (island) Island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Newfoundland is a large Canadian island off the east coast of the North American mainland, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It has 29 percent of the province's land area. The island is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait. It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. Newfoundland's nearest neighbour is the French overseas community of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Ballad form of verse, often a narrative set to music

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Britain and Ireland from the later medieval period until the 19th century. They were widely used across Europe, and later in Australia, North Africa, North America and South America. Ballads are often 13 lines with an ABABBCBC form, consisting of couplets of rhymed verse, each of 14 syllables. Another common form is ABAB or ABCB repeated, in alternating 8 and 6 syllable lines.

Contents

History

William James Emberley (June 26, 1876 – June 10, 1937) was a Newfoundland and Labrador fisherman who grew up in Bay de Verde, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada), the son of Joseph and Jane (Russell).

Newfoundland and Labrador Province of Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it is composed of the insular region of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador to the northwest, with a combined area of 405,212 square kilometres (156,500 sq mi). In 2018, the province's population was estimated at 525,073. About 92% of the province's population lives on the island of Newfoundland, of whom more than half live on the Avalon Peninsula.

Newfoundland Colony English, from 1707, British, possession in North America between 1610 and 1907

Newfoundland Colony was an English and later British colony established in 1610 on the island of the same name off the Atlantic coast of Canada, in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This followed decades of sporadic English settlement on the island, at first seasonal rather than permanent. It was made a Crown colony in 1854 and a Dominion of the British Empire in 1907. The economy collapsed during the Great Depression and Newfoundland relinquished its dominion status, becoming once again a Crown colony, governed by appointees from the Colonial Office in Whitehall in London. American forces occupied much of the colony in World War II, and prosperity returned. In 1949 the colony voted to join Canada as the Province of Newfoundland, but in 2001 its name was officially changed to Newfoundland and Labrador.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, because of the collapse of the international economy, fishermen, including Emberley, were unable to sell their fish; many were reduced to living on the government dole, which was six cents a day. In 1936, Emberly adapted the English song, "Rigs of the Times", to reflect the fishermen's plight. He called it "Hard, Hard Times". [1]

Great Depression 20th-century worldwide economic depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; in most countries, it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how intensely the world's economy can decline.

Emberley's verses reflect a style commonly found in the 18th-century English broadside which made fun of various occupations and made light of difficult circumstances. The song soon became part of the Newfoundland historical tradition. [2] [3] The Emberley version was recorded by Dick Nolan, [4] and was published in Edith Fowke's The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs (Harmondsworth, England, 1973).

Richard Francis Nolan was a Canadian musician, born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Nolan was known for performing Newfoundland folk music in Toronto night clubs. During his 50-year career he released more than 40 albums and recorded over 300 tracks. One album, Fisherman's Boy, contained his signature song Aunt Martha's Sheep and went platinum in just three months. Another signature song of his was I's the B'y. Two more gold albums followed and he appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and national television programs, was nominated for a Juno Award, hosted his own television series and in November 2005, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Edith Fowke, was a Canadian folklorist. Born on April 30, 1913, in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, she was educated at the University of Saskatchewan. She hosted the CBC Radio program Folk Song Time from 1950 to 1963. She wrote numerous books in collaboration with folklorist and composer Richard Johnston, including Folk Songs of Canada, Folk Songs of Quebec, Chansons canadiennes françaises, and More Folk Songs of Canada. She is particularly noted for recording the songs of traditional singers O. J. Abbott, LaRena Clark, and Tom Brandon. Edith Fowke died in Toronto in 1996.

As "Hard, Hard Times" or "Rigs of the Times", the song has also 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".

Steeleye Span English rock band

Steeleye Span are an English folk rock band formed in 1969. Still active today, they are, along with Fairport Convention, amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat". They had four Top 40 albums and achieved a certified gold record with sales of "All Around My Hat".

Napoleonic Wars Series of early 19th century European wars

The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European powers formed into various coalitions, financed and usually led by the United Kingdom. The wars stemmed from the unresolved disputes associated with the French Revolution and its resultant conflict. The wars are often categorised into five conflicts, each termed after the coalition that fought Napoleon: the Third Coalition (1805), the Fourth (1806–07), the Fifth (1809), the Sixth (1813), and the Seventh (1815).

Lyrics

Come all you good people I'll sing you a song,
About the poor people, how they get along;
They'll start in the Spring, finish up in the Fall,
And when it's all over they got nothin' at all.
And it's hard hard times.

Go out in the mornin', go on if it's still,
It's over the side you'll hear the line knell;
For out goes the jigger and freezes the cold,
And as for the startings all gone in the hole.
And it's hard hard times.

The fine side of fishing we'll have by and by,
The fine side of fishing we'll have a good buy;
Seven dollars for large and six-fifty for small,
Take out your West Indie, you've nothing at all.
And it's hard hard times.

When you got some spearin' they're hung out to dry,
It'll take all your time to brush off the flies;
To keep off the flies it is more than you'll do,
Then out comes the sun and she all splits in two.
And it's hard hard times.

Then next comes the carpenter to build you a house,
He'll build her so snug you'll scarce find a mouse;
With holes 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.

Then next comes the doctor the worst one of all,
Saying what is the matter with you all this Fall;
Says he will cure you of all your disease,
When the 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 finished you're hauled on the hill;
You're hauled on the hill and put down in the cold,
And when it's all finished you're still in the hole.
And it's hard hard times.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Editorial: Cheers & Jeers". The Telegram, Nov 17, 2017
  2. ↑ Journal of American Folklore. American Folk-lore Society. 1969. p. 43.
  3. ↑ "Hard, Hard Times". The Canadian Encyclopedia, by Edith Fowke, March 24, 2010
  4. ↑ "Hard Times (Hard Hard Times)". MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada, Memorial University of Newfoundland. by Mike Kent


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