You know hard time is just an old friend, just an old friend to me
I say hard time is just an old friend, just an old friend to me
Tell me now, old friend, when you gonna let me be?

Can't you feel a cold wind howlin' down, blowin' my song
Can't you feel a cold wind howlin' down, blowin' my song
Well, I ain't an old man, but you know my time ain't long

Gonna be a hard rain - you can hear it in the distance, sounds so near
Gonna be a hard rain - you can hear it in the distance, sounds so near
People, when the rain comes, it's gonna wash us all away from here

Mean old woman, people won't you tell me where can she be
Mean old woman, people won't you tell me where can she be
She's the only woman that ever meant a damn to me

You know hard time is just an old friend, just an old friend to me
I say hard time is just an old friend, just an old friend to me
Tell me now, old friend, when you gonna let me be?
Tell me now, old friend, when you gonna let me be?
Tell me now, old friend, when you gonna let this poor man be?