Title: Hard Times
Artist: Bob Dylan
Album: Hard To Find Volume 4 (Track #15)
Duration: 04:14
Label: Sony Music Entertainment
Come you ladies and you gentlemen, a-listen to my song.
Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong.
Just a little glimpse of a story I'll tell
"Bout an East Coast city that you all know well.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Old New York City is a friendly old town,
From Washington Heights to Harlem on down.
There's a-mighty many people all millin' all around,
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
It's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza n' the Empire State.
Mister Rockefeller sets up as high as a bird,
Old Mister Empire never says a word.
It's hard times from the country,
Livin' down in New York town.
Well, it's up in the mornin' tryin' to find a job of work.
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt.
If you got a lot o' money you can make yourself merry,
If you only got a nickel, it's the Staten Island Ferry.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Mister Hudson come a-sailin' down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream.
Bought your city on a one-way track,
'F I had my way I'd sell it right back.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
I'll take all the smog in Cal-i-for-ne-ay,
'N' every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains,
'N' the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines.
It's all much cleaner than the New York kind.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
So all you newsy people, spread the news around,
You c'n listen to m' story, listen to m' song.
You c'n step on my name, you c'n try 'n' get me beat,
When I leave New York, I'll be standin' on my feet.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Tracks:
(1) It Ain't Me Babe
(2) Blowin' In The Wind
(3) Got Love If You Want It
(4) Important Words
(5) Mr. Tambourine Man
(6) Most Of The Time
(7) Old Rock-n-roller
(8) People Putting People Down
(9) Tupelo Honey
(10) Crazy Love
(10) Foreign Window
(10) One Irish Rover
(11) One Irish Rover
(12) Forever Young
(13) Hard Times
(14) I Shall Be Released
(14) Ring Them Bells
(15) Real, Real Gone
(16) Ring Of Fire
(17) Knockin' on Heaven's Door
source:
(1) Radio version. From the Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA - USA. Released on the Superstar Concert Series Westwood One radio Station disc 7-31-86
(2) Dylan with Stevie Wonder & Peter, Paul, and Mary on Martin Luther King Day. JFK performing Arts Center Washington January 20, 1986
(3) Down In The Groove Argentinean release 1988
(4) Down In The Groove DJ promo 1988
(5) Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Roy Orbison, Remixed from the original master from the Orbison tribute 2/24/90
(6) Alternate single version (shorter edit)
(7) Only known performance of this song. Stadtpark, Hamburg, Germany 7-3-90
(8) Rare live performance Rome, Italy 6/06/91
(9) Dylan and Van Morrison. Belfast, North Ireland Feb. 6, '91
(10) Dylan & Van Morrison Hill of the Muses June 27, 1989. TV program 'One Irish Rover' March 16, 1991
(11) Fleadh Festival, Finsbury Park, London 6/12/93
(12) David Letterman show New York City 11-18-93
(13) Bob Dylan / Willie Nelson tribute birthday party May 1993
(14) The great music experience, Nara City, Japan 5/22/94
(15) Bob Dylan and Van Morrison Dublin 4/12/95
(16) Pirated soundtrack 'Feeling Minnesota' 1996
(17) Ferrara, Italy 7/05/96