Do you really wanna know about hard times?
Do you really wanna know about hard times?
Three stone at de fire, cheese ‘pon a de pot
de ‘ave all ‘ave all, an’ de ‘ave not ‘ave none
We buck upon a hard time, we buck upon a hard timeDo you really wanna know about the half that never been told?
Do you really wanna know what ‘appen to our silver an’ gold?
We buck upon a hard time, we buck upon a hard timeDo you really wanna know about hard times?
Do you really wanna know about hard times?
No shoes on deh feet, one pants to deh waist
One shirt’s on deh back, it is a disgrace
To see that we buck upon a hard time, we buck upon a hard time
Nowhere to sleep, no food to eat, no pants to wearDo you really wanna know about hard times?
Do you really wanna know about hard times?
Three stone at de fire, cheese ‘pon a de pan
de ‘ave all ‘ave all, an’ de ‘ave not ‘ave none
We buck upon a hard time, we buck upon a hard time— Pablo Gad
Born in Jamaica, Pablo Gad was a friend of Augustus Pablo and his brother Douggie Swaby. He followed their sound system, El Rockers, and was also hugely influenced by King Tubby and Emperor Faith Sounds. Pablo came to the UK to live in 1974 and went back to Jamaica for a visit in 1979. On returning to England it struck him how almost everyone seemed to be complaining about how hard things were. Having just witnessed a whole different kind of suffering in Jamaica, he wrote ‘Hard Times’ to let people realize that their lot in life was not as bad as it seemed. “They at least got their rent paid and their Giro every week.”/source/