Tim Hardin (1941-1980)--like a bird on a wire...
It was the WOW (Workers of the World) hall in the Eugene, a town both Tim Hardin and I considered home. From the stage, he joked about the photographer in the pit and some of the social purists in the crowd began to boo my prescence...apparently feeling that photography would infringe upon their enjoyment of the music. "Why would you booo the photographer?" Hardin asked, "he's just working hard, doing his job." I'd liked him before, I loved him now. Yeh. Yeh, boo birds.
So it was with sadness that I learned he died shortly after that show, in Los Angeles, California of a heroin and morphine overdose. Hardin's songs are classics, "If I were a Carpenter", "Reason to Believe", "Red Balloon", "Black Sheep Boy", many gaining their greatest success when covered by other artists. Ironically, Hardin's biggest hit may have been his own cover of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on a Wire."
"Like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Like a worm on a hook,
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
If I, if I have been unkind,
I hope that you can just let it go by.
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you.
Like a baby, stillborn,
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
He said to me, you must not ask for so much.
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, hey, why not ask for more?
Oh like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be
free."
Bird on a Wire (Cohen version, can’t find Tim’s anymore)
Comments and faves
Moxette (62 months ago | reply)
Yes, it was very sad. I loved his songs. Misty Roses and It'll Never Happen Again are two of my favourites. Lovely photo, Joel :)
oldog_oltrix (62 months ago | reply)
Great shot ... it radiates charm and savvy showmanship!
I never much connected with Hardin as a performer ... but even had he given us no more than "If I Were A Carpenter", I would consider him a musical giant of our times.
* Ahmad Kavousian * (62 months ago | reply)
great photo
Rich007 (62 months ago | reply)
That really is a shot with tremendous character.
musicmuse_ca (54 months ago | reply)
HE looks so bad here...no fault of yours, but you can see the years of hard living had taken its toll on him. So sad
musicmuse_ca added this photo to her favorites. (47 months ago)
alight (41 months ago | reply)
one of my favorite singers
"reason to believe" favorite song he sang
mathieson.brian (40 months ago | reply)
Would you object to me lifting the photo to use it on my Tim Hardin website - www.mathie.demon.co.uk/th - I'll fully credit you as photographer.
bloated autonomy added this photo to their favorites. (39 months ago)
bloated autonomy (35 months ago | reply)
great pic. first heard of hardin via glen campbell's cover of "reason to believe". great cover of the tune. great tune...
hookykate (32 months ago | reply)
He was such a great performer...& lovely songs ......great stage presence ....
I saw him in 1974 at 'The Marquee' , London .....a delight.
les_batteries (28 months ago | reply)
Hey thanks for this nice pic and to all of you with good words to say about Tim H. He's a favorite of mine, both for his many great songs (my favorite under appreciated one is "It'll Never Happen Again") and for his wonderful, fragile yet extremely musical voice. It is truly sad that he didn't make it out the other side after his addictions took him so far down.
Anne Watkins NYC added this photo to her favorites. (17 months ago)
Anne Watkins NYC (17 months ago | reply)
Adorable photograph. Thanks for posting this. He has been one of my listening staples since the late 60's. I never get tired of his songs, voice, phrasing. Both tender and strong. Since people here are listing their faves, I will pitch in with mine- How Can We Hang on to a Dream?
I guess from your profile you mean Eugene, OR- right? I used to live there, too. Good town.
I look forward to going through your stream.
erlend schenk added this photo to their favorites. (16 months ago)
mathildesophia (16 months ago | reply)
Lovely picture of the BY FAR best singer / songwriter i know. You see his humor and his genious. i schould instantly have fallen in love with him when i had met him. I adore him and he is in my life since i first heard his music begin seventies. It breaks my heart he had to suffer so much.WHY did he have to???Such an intelligent and talented soul! ( Sorry i am dutch, so no native englisch speaker)
mathildesophia (16 months ago | reply)
...the beard and mustache make him older....he looks fantastic!
kerouac's ghost added this photo to his favorites. (14 months ago)
majmarkey (8 months ago | reply)
Happy memories of Tim at the Lincoln folk festival in the late sixties.
He wasn`t in good shape but sang for people during the afternoon in the orchard at the back of the house ,behind the stage.
We had a job to get him up on stage when it came to his set but as soon as he was in front of the mike he was faultless.
Michael
Pastoral 101 and Southcoasting added this photo to their favorites.
lauramueller2012 (3 months ago | reply)
I'll never happen again.
hkrsna000 (3 months ago | reply)
rich voice -rich man in our human drag....hmmmmm