Hard Times Come Again No More

Play the video above--James Taylor and Yo-Yo Ma. [And BTW, I have a crush on James Taylor singing this song. My H. is an awesome guitarist. I'm going to ask him to learn this one for me, for us all.]

"Hard Times" is an American song written by Stephen C. Foster in 1854*. I'm thinking of it now b/c I took a restorative yoga class this afternoon and saw the dance teacher from Figgy's middle school, Mr. Kitts, who choreographed and danced in a beautiful number with the students to this song. I told him today that I never forgot it. They were going around and around in a circle, if I remember correctly--but not in a dreary, repetitive way. In a joyous, graceful, gliding, galloping, lifting way.

I will be getting my hands on this James Taylor song soon. I need to hear it. And believe it.

Thank you, Stephen Foster, for your words, which have been changed a bit over the years:

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh hard times come again no more.


Chorus:
Tis the song, the 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.

While we seek mirth and beauty and music light 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.

(Chorus)
 Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.
(Chorus)

[I left one of the verses out here, b/c the words were too depressing.] May tomorrow be a smoother, brighter day. Today felt rough and tough and jagged, with some soft spots in between. But it's the dark parts that are heavy on my heart right now. Good night.

P.S. After blogging just about daily for over a year now, I just decided to change my Defining Happiness list on my sidebar. I would like it to be more fluid, and more true to the days and weeks I'm in. So I plunged right in. I think I'm going to miss my old list--with Figgy, Nikki, Anne, Elly and Moey on it, among others--but this list might keep me more tuned in to Defining Happiness moments as I experience them.

*Per wikipedia.