Hard Times Of Old England Retold
Billy BraggVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
For five generations my family have farmed,
by horse and by tractor, by hoe and by hand,
but that won't stave off the bank's latest demand.
Singing oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times
Time was, I could sell what I grew at the shop,
Then Tesco's turned up, all of that had to stop.
Now I can't make a living out of my crop.
Singing oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times
More and more of our village gets sold every day,
To folks from the city who are happy to pay,
For their holiday cottage to stand empty all day.
Singing oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times
The Countryside Alliance expects, I suppose,
My support when they're marching to bloody Blair's nose,
But they said not a word when our post office closed.
Singing oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times
The hedgerows my grandfather tended have gone,
And with them the lapwing and the corncrake's sad song.
I fear I'll be carried off before long.
Singing oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times
And now to conclude and to finish my song;
Let's hope that these hard times they will not last long,
And I may soon have occasion for to alter my song
Singing oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times
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Readable chord sheet for Hard Times Of Old England Retold by Billy Bragg
[G]For five[Bm] generations [Em]my family ha[D]ve farmed, by h[C]orse and by tra[Bm]ctor, by h[Am]oe and by h[D]and, but that w[G]on't stave o[Am]ff the bank's l[Bm]atest dem[D]and. Singing [Am]oh the hard ti[D]mes of old En[G]gland In old [Am]England [D]very hard tim[G]es Time w[G]as, I could [Bm]sell what I g[Em]rew at the s[D]hop, Then T[C]esco's turned u[Bm]p, all of [Am]that had to [D]stop. Now I can[G]'t make a li[Am]ving o[Bm]ut of my [D]crop. Singing [Am]oh the hard ti[D]mes of old En[G]gland In old [Am]England [D]very hard tim[G]es More and m[G]ore of our v[Bm]illage gets s[Em]old every da[D]y, To fo[C]lks from the c[Bm]ity who are [Am]happy to p[D]ay, For their ho[G]liday cot[Am]tage to stand e[Bm]mpty all [D]day. Singing [Am]oh the hard ti[D]mes of old En[G]gland In old [Am]England [D]very hard tim[G]es The Co[G]untryside Al[Bm]liance exp[Em]ects, I supp[D]ose, My sup[C]port when they're m[Bm]arching to b[Am]loody Blair's n[D]ose, But they s[G]aid not a w[Am]ord when our [Bm]post office cl[D]osed. Singing [Am]oh the hard ti[D]mes of old En[G]gland In old [Am]England [D]very hard tim[G]es The he[G]dgerows my g[Bm]randfather t[Em]ended have g[D]one, And wi[C]th them the la[Bm]pwing and the co[Am]rncrake's sad s[D]ong. I fe[G]ar I'll be [Am]carried o[Bm]ff before l[D]ong. Singing [Am]oh the hard ti[D]mes of old En[G]gland In old [Am]England [D]very hard tim[G]es And [G]now to concl[Bm]ude and to f[Em]inish my son[D]g; Let's [C]hope that these h[Bm]ard times they w[Am]ill not last lo[D]ng, And I may s[G]oon have oc[Am]casion for to [Bm]alter my so[D]ng Singing [Am]oh the hard ti[D]mes of old En[G]gland In old [Am]England [D]very hard tim[G]es