====== The Hard Times of Old England ======

<abc>X:1
T:The Hard Times of Old England
C:traditional
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G major
G>A | B G A | B G A | B G B |
w:Come_ | all bro-ther | trades-men that | tra-vel a- | 
(A G) F | G A G | F E D/D/ | E C E | 
w:lone_ O, | pray come and | tell me where the | trade is all | 
D2 D | G G D | E E C | D E C | D2 || 
w:gone Long | time I have | tra-velled and | can-not find | none ||
G/G/ | A>B c | B A F | G2 D- | D 
w:and it's | O, the hard | times of old | Eng-land_
G>F | E D C | D E F | G3- | G |]
w:in old | Eng-e-land | ve-ry hard times_</abc>

1. Come all brother tradesmen that travel alone 
O pray come and tell me where the trade is all gone 
Long time I have travelled and cannot find none 

**Chorus:** 
//And it's: O, the hard times of old England 
In old Eng-e-land very hard times.//

2. Provisions you buy at the shop it is true 
But if you've no money there's none there for you 
So what's a poor man and his family to do? 

[Chorus]

3. If you go to a shop and you ask for a job 
They will answer you there with a shake and a nod 
So that's enough to make a man turn out and rob 

[Chorus]

4. You will see the poor tradesmen a-walking the street 
From morning till night for employment to seek 
And scarcely they've got any shoes on their feet 

[Chorus]

5. Our soldiers and sailors have just come from war 
Been fighting for their queen and the country, 'tis sure 
Come home to be starved, better stayed where they were 

[Chorus]

6. And now to conclude and to finish my song 
Let us hope that these hard times they will not last long 
I hope soon to have occasion to alter my song: 

//And sing: O, the good times of old England 
In old Eng-e-land jolly good times.//