I rem[C]ember growing [C7]up loved like it was [G]only yesterd[Am]ay
[G]Mum and daddy tried their best to gu[F]ide me on my w[C]ay
But the h[C]ard times and the liqour drove [Dm7]easy love a[Am]way
And the [G]only love I knew about was h[C]ard love
It was h[C]ard love every h[G]our of the [Am]day
When Ch[G]ristmas to my birthday was a m[F]illion years aw[C]ay
And the f[C]ear that came between them drove the t[Dm7]ears into my p[Am]lay
There was l[G]ove in daddy's house but it was h[C]ard love
I rec[C]all the gentle c[C7]ourtesy you sh[G]owed me as I t[Am]ried
To diss[G]emble in politeness all the l[F]ove I felt ins[C]ide
But for e[C]very song of laughter there was a[Dm7]nother song that cr[Am]ied
This a[G]in't no easy weekend this is h[C]ard love
It was h[C]ard love every s[G]tep of the [Am]way
It was h[G]ard to be so close to you and h[F]ard to turn aw[C]ay
But when a[C]ll the stars in the sentimental s[Dm7]ongs dissolve aw[Am]ay
There'll be n[G]othing left to sing about but h[C]ard love
So I'll l[C]ove you for your c[C7]ourage and your g[G]entle sense of sh[Am]ame
And I'll l[G]ove you for your laughter and your l[F]anguage and your n[C]ame
And I k[C]new it was impossible but I l[Dm7]oved you just the s[Am]ame
Though the o[G]nly love I gave to you was h[C]ard love
It was h[C]ard love it was so h[G]ard on you I k[Am]now
When the [G]only love I gave to you was l[F]ove I couldn't s[C]how
You forg[C]ave the heart that loved you as your l[Dm7]over turned to [Am]go
Leaving n[G]othing but the memory of h[C]ard love
So I'm s[C]tanding in this p[C7]hone booth with a d[G]ollar and a d[Am]ime
And I'm w[G]ondering what to say to you to e[F]ase your troubled m[C]ind
For the L[C]ord's cross might redeem us but our [Dm7]own just waste our t[Am]ime
But to t[G]ell the two apart there's always h[C]ard love
So I'll t[C]ell you that I l[C7]ove you even th[G]ough you're far a[Am]way
And I'll t[G]ell you how you changed me as I li[F]ved from day to d[C]ay
And how you h[C]elped me to accept myself and I w[Dm7]on't forget to [Am]say
That love is [G]never wasted even when it's h[C]ard love
Oh it's h[C]ard love but it's l[G]ove all the s[Am]ame
It's n[G]ot the stuff of fantasy much m[F]ore than just a g[C]ame
And it's the [C]only kind of miracle that is w[Dm7]orthy of the n[Am]ame
For the l[G]ove that heals our lives is mostly h[C]ard love
[G]Mum and daddy tried their best to gu[F]ide me on my w[C]ay
But the h[C]ard times and the liqour drove [Dm7]easy love a[Am]way
And the [G]only love I knew about was h[C]ard love
It was h[C]ard love every h[G]our of the [Am]day
When Ch[G]ristmas to my birthday was a m[F]illion years aw[C]ay
And the f[C]ear that came between them drove the t[Dm7]ears into my p[Am]lay
There was l[G]ove in daddy's house but it was h[C]ard love
I rec[C]all the gentle c[C7]ourtesy you sh[G]owed me as I t[Am]ried
To diss[G]emble in politeness all the l[F]ove I felt ins[C]ide
But for e[C]very song of laughter there was a[Dm7]nother song that cr[Am]ied
This a[G]in't no easy weekend this is h[C]ard love
It was h[C]ard love every s[G]tep of the [Am]way
It was h[G]ard to be so close to you and h[F]ard to turn aw[C]ay
But when a[C]ll the stars in the sentimental s[Dm7]ongs dissolve aw[Am]ay
There'll be n[G]othing left to sing about but h[C]ard love
So I'll l[C]ove you for your c[C7]ourage and your g[G]entle sense of sh[Am]ame
And I'll l[G]ove you for your laughter and your l[F]anguage and your n[C]ame
And I k[C]new it was impossible but I l[Dm7]oved you just the s[Am]ame
Though the o[G]nly love I gave to you was h[C]ard love
It was h[C]ard love it was so h[G]ard on you I k[Am]now
When the [G]only love I gave to you was l[F]ove I couldn't s[C]how
You forg[C]ave the heart that loved you as your l[Dm7]over turned to [Am]go
Leaving n[G]othing but the memory of h[C]ard love
So I'm s[C]tanding in this p[C7]hone booth with a d[G]ollar and a d[Am]ime
And I'm w[G]ondering what to say to you to e[F]ase your troubled m[C]ind
For the L[C]ord's cross might redeem us but our [Dm7]own just waste our t[Am]ime
But to t[G]ell the two apart there's always h[C]ard love
So I'll t[C]ell you that I l[C7]ove you even th[G]ough you're far a[Am]way
And I'll t[G]ell you how you changed me as I li[F]ved from day to d[C]ay
And how you h[C]elped me to accept myself and I w[Dm7]on't forget to [Am]say
That love is [G]never wasted even when it's h[C]ard love
Oh it's h[C]ard love but it's l[G]ove all the s[Am]ame
It's n[G]ot the stuff of fantasy much m[F]ore than just a g[C]ame
And it's the [C]only kind of miracle that is w[Dm7]orthy of the n[Am]ame
For the l[G]ove that heals our lives is mostly h[C]ard love
