My grandma's grandpa came over across the sea In the boiler room of a steam ship on his way from Germany He was runnin' from the Kaiser who was puttin' the hammer down And the cries of the dyin' men were such an awful sound Oh they were such an awful sound
Oh hard times, hard times Hard times made us
My father was a railroad man, a mechanic and a son of the soil His back was busted and his hands were cut and sore Oh his hands were cut and sore But he swore that
Hard times, hard times Hard times made us You know that Hard times hard times Hard times made us Oh and I would not trade them all for anything
Uncle Sam well he ain't no kin to me And what we have is a crisis of authority Oh it's a crisis of authority
Oh hard times hard times Hard times made us You know that Hard times hard times Hard times made us Oh and I would not trade them all for anything