[Verse 1]
In the waking hours of some not-too-distant morning
You'll come walking barefoot through this cowboy mind
Selling yesterday's dreams wrapped in tomorrow's paper
Whistling for a dog mankind except you'll never find

[Chorus]
It's a cold hard world, love
These are cold hard times
These are cold hard times

[Verse 2]
Standing in some narrow space, you'll hear your mother crying
For the thoughts she had and didn't use, now they're gone
And your father's still out back, he's selling and he's buying
There's nothing he can give you 'cause he's never once been wrong

[Chorus]
It's a cold hard world, love
These are cold hard times
These are cold hard times

[Verse 3]
I heard my brother died last week, or was that just a rumor
From an overdose of hate taken in his vein
I heard the preacher said God must have a sense of humor
'Cause when they put him in the grave, it didn't even rain
[Chorus]
It's a cold hard world, love
These are cold hard times
These are cold hard times

[Outro]
These are cold hard times