HARD TIMES

Ray Charles

Copyright 1961 Unichapell Music, Inc., BMI

As recorded by Eric Clapton on “Journeyman”

(Transcribed by Len Moskowitz: [email protected], September 1997)

VERSE 1

My mother told me

Before she passed away

Said son when I’m [Bm7/Bb]gone

Don’t forget to pray

‘Cause there’ll be hard times

Lord, those hard times

Who knows better than I?

VERSE 2

Well I soon found out

Just what she meant

When I had to pawn my clothes

Just to pay the rent

Talkin’ ’bout hard times

Lord, those hard times

Who knows better than I?

(Sax solo/Guitar solo)

VERSE 3

I had a woman

Who was always around

But when I lost my money

She put me down

Talkin’ ’bout hard times

Hard times

Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I? [E9(2)]

Lord, one of these days

There’ll be no more sorrow

When I pass away

And no more hard times

No more hard times

Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I?

(play single notes: E Eb A Db D and end on D9)

CHORD TAB

[Bm7/Bb]  

E 5 2 7 7 x 3 4 10 8 7 6 5

b 5 2 7 7 3 3 3 10 8 7 6 5

g 5 3 7 7 5 4 4 11 9 8 7 6

d 4 2 9 7 4 5 3 12 10 7 6 5

a 5 4 9 9 5 5 x 12 10 9 8 7

e x 2 x 6 x 3 x 10 8 7 6 5

[–]Len Moskowitz

[email protected]