> Norma Waterson > Songs > Hard Times Heart

Hard Times Heart

[Norma Waterson]

Sung by Norma Waterson on her first solo album, Norma Waterson and re-released on the anthology New Electric Muse Vol. 2.

The New Electric Muse sleeve notes say:

This is the only song written by Norma Waterson on the outstanding 1996 album, which brought together family members Eliza Carthy and Martin Carthy with Danny Thompson, Richard Thompson and drummer Roger Swallow, catching the mood of the times in skilful arrangements of songs by a roll-call of contemporary writers: Jerry Garcia, Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Lal Waterson, John B. Spencer and Graeme Taylor. Hard Times Heart is, according to Norma, about the break-up of a friend’s marriage. The heartfelt lyric is offset by an uplifting, timeless melody, recalling her love of the traditional repertoire.

Lyrics

Norma Waterson sings Hard Times Heart

I found a heart that had fallen on hard times
It looked so sad and lonely and I could see the signs
That love had come and love had gone and left it lying there
A heart should be handled with great care

Chorus (after each verse):
But what could I do with another heart
When I can’t mend this broken heart of mine
And what’s the use in saying that time will heal
To a heart that has fallen on hard times

I asked everybody in the streets of every town
Clare Rayner, Sergeant Pepper, every lost and found
I asked for Auld Lang Syne but no takers could I find
For a heart that had fallen on hard times