Hard Times

(original words)

Words & Music by

Ray Charles

 

A7#5

 

D9                F#7  [bass walk up chromatically to the F#, then walk up to the B]

My mother told me before she passed away,

Bm      Bm7/Bb           D9/A     Ab7#11

Said, "Son when I'm gone don't forget to pray.

G6     Abdim7                               D9  C9  B9

'Cause there'll be hard times.  Lord, those hard times.

Bb9  A7       D/A      A7#5

Who knows better than I?"

 

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?

 

INSTRUMENTAL VERSE:

 

I had a woman who was always around

But when I lost my money she put me down

Talkin' 'bout hard times, hard times

Bb7   A7                          D9  F9  E9  Eb9

Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I?

 

[vox tacit first line]     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.

Bb7  A7               D9  F9  E9  Eb9  D9

Who knows better than I?

[Chordal guitar arrangement by Sam Davis]

 

A7#5   = 5 x 5 6 6 x or 5 4 3 2 2 x [better than x 0 3 2 2 x]

D9     = x 5 4 5 5 x     Bm     = x 2 4 4 3 x

D9/A   = 5 x 4 5 5 x     Ab7#11 = 4 x 4 5 3 x

G6     = 3 x 2 4 3 x     Abdim7 = 4 x 3 4 3 x

C9     = x 3 2 3 3 x     B9     = x 2 1 2 2 x

Bb9    = x 1 0 1 1 x     D/A    = x 0 4 2 3 x