Hard Life
by Stan Snow

One night I woke at 4 am with a melody in my head.   It seemed so simple, I almost went back to sleep. But instead decided to get up, go downstairs and record what I was hearing, into my phone.   As I started to put chords and words to it, on an acoustic guitar, I realized that this song was going to be about the life of Johnny Cash, and others like him.   As we thought about which direction we wanted to take this song, we felt inspired by Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, John Hiatt and Sheryl Crow, among many others. The lead guitar is a 1960 Les Paul reissue through a ’59 Fender twin amp.   Jed plays some great Hammond organ on this tune, and piano as well.   Mike Stone is rock solid, as always, on drums. And Jazmin Candia added some nice backing vocals. Don Gunn? Well, Don is the master of the mix.  

There is a road downtown
That leads to the edge of the world
And no one can tell you how to walk it alone
I left a good job, in the city
I left a good woman standing by my side
And I found nothing but darkness, in the middle of a cold cold night

It ain’t nothing but a hard life
I keep searchin’ for a fine line
I can’t find a way to let go
Of this hard hard life

Broken and down, I went
Twisted and ground, I spent
All that I had, I lost, and found out alone
I couldn’t hold on, to the meaning
Of what it was like livin’ life on the edge
So I took it to the limit, and couldn’t find my way back home

It ain’t nothing but a hard life
I keep searchin’ for a fine line
I can’t find a way to let go
Of this hard hard life

Guitar Solo 1

You’d think I would learn, from the past
And find a way out, of this trap
but torture and burn, seems to be the way for me
Demons and dreams, still haunt me
And I can’t stop til I dance on the sun
I’ve got nothing left to lose, and everything to gain in the end

It ain’t nothing but a hard life
I keep searchin’ for a fine line
I can’t find a way to let go
Of this hard hard life

Guitar Solo 2

Stan Snow: songwriter, producer, vocals, guitars, bass
Jed Moffitt: co-producer, Hammond organ, piano
Mike Stone: drums
Jazmin Candia: backing vocals
Don Gunn: engineering, mixing, mastering

Copyright 2020 SAS West Music BMI, All rights reserved.