Hard Times Are Relative - Jason Boland & The Stragglers

Babe I had a dream Woke up in a sweat Darkness all around me I was caught in its net Tried to reach for you But you weren't there It only was a dream But it put danger in the air I can feel the nervous rhythm Of your heart with mine Could we ever stay together Stand the test of time Baby make me a believer Cause this world will lie (Oh these times are hard for lovers) It's getting harder for you and me (Oh) It's hard on me and you Baby we can make it Cause our love will pull us through These times are hard for lovers It's down to me in you Nothing's gonna break us If we hang on to what's true These times are hard for lovers I believe in you These times are hard for lovers I believe in you Everywhere you turn Trouble going on Living under pressure Loving under the gun It's hard enough to live Draw another breath Hang on to me baby Like it's life or death I can feel the nervous rhythm of your heart with mine Could we ever stay together Stand the test of time Baby make me a believer Cause this world will lie (Oh these times are hard for lovers) It's getting harder for you and me (Oh) It's hard on me and you Baby we can make it Cause our love will pull us through These times are hard for lovers It's down to me in you Nothing's gonna break us If we hang on to what's true These times are hard for lovers I believe in you These times are hard for lovers I believe in you Can you feel the nervous rhythm of your heart with mine Could we ever stay together Stand the test of time Baby make me a believer Cause this world will lie We've got to go the distance Touch the sky Baby we can make it Cause our love will pull us through These times are hard for lovers It's down to me in you Nothing's gonna break us If we hang on to what's true These times are hard for lovers I believe in you (These times are hard for lovers whoa) Whoa (These times are hard for lovers oh yeah) (These times are hard for lovers whoa) Whoa (These times are hard for lovers oh yeah) I believe in you (These times are hard for lovers whoa) When I turn to you (These times are hard for lovers oh yeah) Yeah But I don't believe it (These times are hard for lovers whoa) Yeah (These times are hard for lovers oh yeah) Whoa (These times are hard for lovers whoa) Baby I believe in you (These times are hard for lovers oh yeah) Baby I believe in you (These times are hard for lovers whoa) Baby I believe in you (These times are hard for lovers oh yeah)

They say times are hard for dreamers, But they won't be hard for me. I've saved up everything I know To take that step beyond the lawn, Keep walking 'till I see the station And then see it go. Inside the train, Out through the glass, My finger tracing, All of these towns, I've never heard of racing past... Off the train in Paris, Half a mile from Sacré-Cœur, The city's waking up for me. A sign says an apartment is vacant on the second floor And suddenly, I hold a key. I turn a lock, the rooms appear And all it takes is one more step And then I'm here! Just me, behind my door, It isn't what I have It's only what I have in store that matters now! The past can only fade And everything I'll ever need is here, This is how my world gets made. They say times are hard for dreamers, And who knows? Maybe they are. People seem stuck or lost at sea And I might be a dreamer but it has gotten me this far And that is far enough for me. Look out my window There's a view of other windows My own museum full of paintings, I look through! Where everything is clear It isn't where I am It's only where I go from here That matters now And I am not afraid! As everything I'll ever need appears, This is how my world gets made...

They say times are hard for dreamers But they are not hard for me I've saved up everything I know To take that step beyond the lawn Keep walking till I see the station And then see it go Inside the train, up through the glass My finger tracing All of these towns I've never heard of racing past Off the train in Paris, half a mile from Sacré-Cœur The city's waking up for me! A sign says an apartment's vacant on the second floor! And suddenly I hold a key I turn a lock, the rooms appear And all it takes is one more step And then I'm here! Just me behind my door! It isn't what I have It's only what I have in store That matters now, the past can only fade! And everything I'll ever need is here This is how my world gets made They say times are hard for dreamers And who knows, maybe they are People seem stuck, or lost at sea! And I might be a dreamer But it's gotten me this far And that is far enough for me Look out my window there's a view, of other windows My own museum full of paintings I look through! Where everything is clear! It isn't where I am It's only where I'll go from here That matters now And I am not afraid! As everything I'll ever need appears This is how my world gets made

My parents tell me all the time That times are hard for dreamers And then I'm told that I'm not old enough to disagree But when I'm looking out my window I can see the world I'm dreaming All around me It's when I'm dreaming that my house becomes a giant snowglobe And when I shake it I'm a snowflake Floating down the street And as I'm falling to the ground The world is reaching out to catch me Though we've yet to really meet Rafael Poulain likes giving salutes In his army doctor uniform Always liked the idea of a daughter But not so sure now that I've got one Likes to swim but dislikes wet swimming suits Likes to clean and organize his tools He likes his daughter in theory But doesn't really like it when he Has to touch her

Change Fire to kindle Fate And you're in the middle Babe Your heart is a riddle I'm changing pace To where it's sound again 'Cause I'm holding on And I can't let go Yeah, we're holding on But the times are changing When it took so long Just for me to see (I know) Still I'm holding on But the times are changing And shady (you know) How you treated me so good I was chasin' Paralyzed, you heard me (you heard me) You said it's complicated (so complicated) But we complicate it, don't we? (It's all complicated) I cannot concentrate It can be easy if we want (if we want) Babe Your heart is a riddle (my riddle) I'm changing pace To where it's sound again (to where it's sound again) 'Cause I'm holding on And I can't let go Yeah, we're holding on But the times are changing (but the times are changing) When it took so long Just for me to see (I know) Still I'm holding on But the times are changing Babe, I beg ya Make me better Can we last? Uh I got no answer

They deliver all the trouble to my front door, Served my wife with papers and a gun Please remember the man with whom you're dealing, Never was a father or your son Just another dog you chose cause he would run There's a wall cloud rolling across the blue sky Karma manifest into a form If you wonder the reason why I'm smiling, It's because I know her love will keep me warm Yeah we're the kind of folks that kinda like a storm We batten down the hatches and hold each other close, A joint and a couple matches feeds the flame I'm afraid for you, it's getting dark, Sundown at the trailer park and nothin's gonna look the same A tornado doesn't ask the fool his name Having visions of things that bare explaining, No answers in religion or the law Sending thugs out to call it all illusion, Doesn't change belief in a what I saw A translation of the writing on the wall We batten down the hatches and hold each other close, A joint and a couple matches feeds the flame I'm afraid for you, it's getting dark, Sundown at the trailer park and nothin's gonna look the same A tornado doesn't ask the fool his name We batten down the hatches and hold each other close, A joint and a couple matches feeds the flame For you, my friend, it's getting dark, Lights out at the trailer park and nothin's gonna look the same A tornado doesn't ask the fool his name

(*Boland, Roger Ray) [** feat. Robert Earl Keen:] The party's not over* It's just leaving town So don't be disappointed It's gonna come back around But who says that a good time Ends at the end of the night Oh the party's not over So don't turn out the lights There was a happening Had here for sure We've all got to be somewhere A few forgot where they were They don't stare if you stumble They don't care if you crawl They're sweeping up the broken glass And it's after last call The party's not over It's just leaving town So don't be disappointed It's gonna come back around But who says that a good time Ends at the end of the night Yeah the party's not over So don't turn out the lights Tomorrow morning May hurt like hell But it's going to be worth it As far as I can tell Cause I got me a woman She's all over me Sweet nothings in my ear I wander what it could be The party's not over It's just leaving town So don't be disappointed It's gonna come back around Who says that a good time Ends at the end of the night Yeah the party's not over So don't turn out the lights The party's not over It's just leaving town So don't be disappointed It's gonna come back around Who says that a good time Ends at the end of the night Yeah the party's not over So don't turn out the lights I said the party's not over So don't turn out the lights...

I refuse to spend the rest of my days trying to get away From all the things I did when I knew not what I had done O so young and tired and love was not an item My own bottle always refused to hear Them tell me not to stare into the sun This pornographic place told me a body was to be feared And then wanted at the same time Man, if you could figure how Feared because it was the pathway to the mortal sin And then wanted because we'll all be dust a Few short years from now. It's a broken hearted world that we inherit All we're told to do is sin and bear it For a little while, On the dark and dirty mile. It took awhile at least for me To live enough until I believed In none of what I heard and less than half of what I saw Mark the days have come and gone Some were lost and some were wrong On the way back home we'll figure out a place to place it all It's a broken hearted world that we inherit All we're told is to do sin and bear it For a little while, On this dark and dirty mile We're all family here on trial On the dark and dirty mile Finally I realized That knowledge better make you wise Or all the knots you learned to tie will leave you in a ball Helpless as when we were born Threaded bare and holy worn Out shivering as summer gives way to early fall It's a broken hearted world that we inherit All we're told is to do sin and bear it For a little while, On the dark and dirty mile We're all family here on trial On the dark and dirty mile

I got drunk by myself last night They say it's no way to make things right I just didn't have anything better to do The dog was asleep on the living room rug and I watched a show about crime and drugs Finished a bottle of bourbon until it was through I don't care that I can't sleep I'd just as soon stay up all week I might get some things done while others dream The heater broke and the room got cold And my knees and ankles say I'm gettin' older The phone finally rang but it wasn't for me Chorus: If everyone was together I guess no one would be alone Life's a lot of trade offs in the end Somewhere in the fields of heather The proud souls laugh and they love together Somewhere between passion and losing friends Sleep finally came but I woke up alone My head was next to the telephone I gave the sun a cussin' as I drew the shades One thing that always seems true That's when I'm hung over the sky is blue A rough night for me will make a hell of a day And I believe in ghosts and democracy And that each man should leave his legacy Be that mans work great or be it small I don't believe in everything like The designated hitter or that diamond rings Will make love last forever for one and all Cause if everyone should be together Why are some many left alone Life's a lot of trade offs in the end Somewhere in the fields of heather The proud souls laugh and they love together Somewhere between passion and losing friends Somewhere between passion and losing friends

We kept part and connected by the same stretch of road And I'm tired of packin' round this heavy load It started out a stream but then the levee fell When the rain maker had some extra seeds to sell Well I just thought id call and see what's going on Did the hill country flatten out since I've been gone Are the fields all painted up in red and blue Are you thinking of me the times I'm thinking of you Chorus Well I just wanna drink til I'm not thirsty And I just wanna sleep til I'm not tired I just wanna drive till I run out of money I don't wanna be no Romeo on the telephone wire Could we dream up a reason for a rendezvous The Yanks are in town and we got nothing to do You're neighbors are gone and you're feeling alone You can't kiss somebody on the telephone Did you go out last night and was it just a friend Would you care if I showed up there at 6: 00 am Drive all day with the top pulled down We could stay in all night or we could paint the town Chorus I guess I better go now it's getting too late There's a party downstairs and I thought I heard something break I bid you goodnight and hope to see you soon Maybe later on this afternoon Chorus

For reasons that don't matter, I was walking down the alley When I heard this music coming through the screen Without really thinking, I walked up to the window To a scene that felt just like a dream She was standing in the kitchen, her face turned towards the ceiling Her eyes were closed, but still they held the light And from a battered guitar came a sound like angels weeping For all those restless spirits in the night I don't know how long I stood there, but it felt like many lifetimes Before I felt her love float away Walking back down the alley, feeling so much better I knew that I could take another day Cause she was standing in the kitchen, Her face turned towards the ceiling Her eyes were closed, but still they held the light And from a battered guitar came a sound like angels weeping For all those restless spirits in the night And from a battered guitar came a sound like angels weeping For all those restless spirits in the night