Em                     D
To the pavement, to the solid ground
                  C
It's gonna be the hard times
                  B                       Em     D   N.C.
That'll leave you when things are cheap again

[2nd Verse]
N.C.           Em                     D
Baby, it's the hard times, don't you know
         Em                       D
That has taken the shine off your golden look
                  C                            B
It's gonna be the hard times that'll leave you when
              Em          D   N.C.
You come back to me again

[Chorus]
N.C. Em                    C             B
Hard times, you're running scared on the streets
     Em              C               B
Hard times, with all beggars and the priests
     Em                      C                B
Hard times, with the welfare checking here on time
Am                     B
Telling everybody everything's just fine
Em         D        Em     D  N.C.
Hard times,    hard times

[3rd Verse]
N.C.           Em                           D
Baby, it's the hard times, and the taste is here
     Em                             D
From champagne, going to sipping on beer
               C                                B
Baby, it's the hard times that's eating on your soul
                   Em     D  N.C.
It's about time you know

[Chorus]
N.C. Em                        C                  B
Hard times, they've raised the price of smoke and drink
     Em     C                           B
Hard times, gonna make make me stop and think
     Em             C           B
Hard times, will it ever be the same
Am                                   B            C
All this talk of a chance of work is just a crazy game

      Em                  C                B
Hard times, they're gonna force you to the wall
     Em                  C               B
Hard times, 'til there's nothing left at all
     Em                  C                   B
Hard times, this walking wreck ain't worth a dime
    A                         B                   N.C.
Got your head hanging down in there with the line

N.C. Em                       C          B
Hard times, it seems the whole world has quit
     Em                   C              B
Hard times, you've got no future, got no past
     Em              C           B
Hard times, just how long can it last
    A                                 B     N.C.
You wake up one day and find out it's gone in a flash

[Outro]
Em
Hard times!