When we think of Old Time music, famed composer Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) might not be at the top of the list of songwriters who immediately come to mind. But during his lifetime, he penned hundreds of songs, many of which, according to the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, have come to be thought of as “... foundation stones of the American songbook.” 

Several of his songs float around the fringes of the Old Time and Bluegrass, such as “Oh Susanna (1848),” “Camptown Races (1850),” “My Old Kentucky Home (1853),” and “Old Folks At Home/Swanee River (1851).” Two of his compositions are heard quite frequently at Old Time and Bluegrass jams: “Angelina Baker,” (1850) and “Hard Times Come Again No More (1854).”

Angelina Baker/Angeline The Baker

Angelina Baker was written by Foster for the Christy Minstrels, and was published in 1850. Like fellow songwriter Henry Clay Work (“Kingdom Coming/Year Of Jubilo”), Foster had a profitable business relationship with Edwin P. Christy, who headed the most popular minstrel troupe in the country. 

The original lyrics lament the loss of a woman slave, sent away by her owner. Like most all minstrel songs of the day, the lyrics were written in caricatured heavy dialect, meant to be performed by blackface troupes. In today’s time, the original lyrics and dialect are seen as demeaning or offensive, so lots of variations have been created for those who want to sing. Most of today’s lyrics tell of Angeline not wanting to marry, give her an “age of 43,” and her last name has become her occupation, leading the song to now be commonly called “Angeline The Baker.” 

The original sheet music indicates the song is to be performed “Moderato,” as it was intended to relate a sad and mournful story of lost love, but the song has morphed over time to a quicker, jaunty and upbeat fiddle tune and song.

Hard Times Come Again No More

When it comes time for slow songs around the jam circle, there are few better from which to choose than Foster’s “Hard Times Come Again No More,” which was published in 1854. Known early in his career for his successful minstrel songs, Foster later focused on writing songs like this one, laced with nostalgia. It is said that Foster used a melody that he heard as a child in an African-American church as a basis for the melody of this song. But unlike his earlier works, the lyrics have no dialect, no mention of slavery or other minstrel themes, and the song was described on its printed cover simply as one of “Foster’s Melodies.” The song’s imagery is impressive, as in “pale drooping maiden,” and “frail forms fainting at the door;” with verses pleading for hard times to not come again. 

“Hard Times Come Again No More" is seen by some as tragically prophetic, as it has been reported that Foster sang this song quite often in his last days. It is the most recorded of all his works, and like all of his other songs, is considered in the public domain. The most famous and popular songwriter of the Civil War era died, penniless, on January 13, 1864, at the age of 37. 

In the mp3 file below, please enjoy dulcimer virtuoso Sarah Kate Morgan performing “Hard Times,” recorded during a live performance in 2013. Ed Note: This is my favorite recording of this song!