Bob Franke "Hard Love"

Bob Franke singing one of his classic songs "Hard Love" at the 40th anniversary celebration of the me&thee coffeehouse in Marblehead, MA

[@Ellwitt]

Just so you know, the song came first and then my book, Hard Love. In fact, the first time I heard Bob sing it was right there at the me and thee. --Ellen Wittlinger

[@alexandracox9717]

Ellen Wittlinger I read your book maybe 10 years ago in high school and it stuck with me. So did this poem. 10 years and I still remember it fondly.

[@thekatherinesierra7798]

i love your book

[@rebelghoulrowyn]

Ellen Wittlinger I was in middle school when I read your book. It was the most cathartic thing, even more comforting than my sessions with a therapist. And I put off searching for the song until today. I don't have energy to explain but I've never needed something as badly as I needed to hear this song today. Thank you, to Ellen and Bob, for existing.

[@mr.creepysmile7318]

Idk if it's you but thank you. The book helped me when I didn't understand the love I was feeling during highschool. I expressed it a lot like how John did towards the end. I re-read it now 10 years later and and wow still amazing. Some parts are funnier now that I'm older. And some parts still bring the same pain in my chest, but now with a smile. Thank you and to thank you to Bob Franke as well

[@JohnBrandkamp]

I was at this show nearly nine years ago. It was pure magic.

[@judithgips2959]

I love this song... I had hard love in my family or origin too, though it was nt about liquor or poverty. my mother died last month at age 91 and it was so often hard love between us. "from Christmas to my birthday" is abut as close to a "million years" as you can get . my birthday is the day before Christmas - I celebrated it yesterday, pretty much by myself due to COVID and hoped that my one child, who is now an adult, would call me. we have always been loose but some things happened in the last year and we went 8 or 9 months without contact... not my choosing, while my mother was so ill. I brought my mother some Christmas greenery last yer, when she survived a grueling emergency surgery - and she said se=he felt bad that 'I couldn't do anything for your birthday!" I told her it was fine, "I still have my mother - : there is some gentle irony to the way she had a little Christmas tree in her room when I was a day old that my father brought her... that except qhen my younger brother was born, she never spent another night in a hospital as a patient until she was 90... and that I brought her one ore tree for her room for our last Christmas together.

[@Bageenajr]

Wish I could see him preform this song. I'm just lucky I got to hear it at all. Thank you Bob.

[@skovner]

As I have said in the comments for another performance, this is one of the greatest folk songs of all time, and he should be remembered and famed far beyond the fame he has had.

[@jocsgrotto]

I finished Ellen's book last week and I've been looking for this song since then.

[@mr.creepysmile7318]

Read the lyrics in the book while listening. It feels like a credit scene in a movie. Almost recapping through John's eyes

[@Multiboxes]

Heard this sung by the late great Jim Couza in a Folk Club back in the early 90s: just beautiful - never forgotten that performance, that brought tears to the eyes of a friend.

[@foreverdominican2012]

Evrytime I hear this song i kinda get choked up idk why. Its a truly emotional and sweet song. Btw i luv the book by ellen witlinger. Can totally relate with the story and how things turn out evn though its bittersweet.

[@davidfitzgerald6704]

I imagine that everyone here has heard the beautiful version of this lovely song by June Tabor, if not, you really must!

[@10Xrandom]

You know this guy is old and all now but years ago he was young and reckless. He fell for girls that played him and girls fell for him who he broke. Love doesn't suck and it isnt't stupid. It gives you butterflies and it makes you feel so good inside but at other times it stabs ya in the back. It's love not easy love but hard love all the same

[@spring74light]

Show-stopper! Just wonderful!

[@redhotchilipepper432]

I completely love the lyrics of this song...and I completely hate them. I've cried listening to this song a few times. I think everyone can relate to this song which is probably why it's so beautiful. it’s too honest. Also if you read Hard Love this song will mean so much more.

[@metheeTV]

+redhotchilipepper432 Definitely! This song has always slayed me.

[@Ellwitt]

@XxKimmyxVelocityxX Yes, the zine thing is real, although more of them are online now than actually paper books. Google "zines" and I bet you'll find a source for them. You should be able to get a hard cover copy of Hard Love through any bookstore--they're always willing to order books for you--or online from Amazon or another source like that.

[@StephanieSpardaXD]

I read the book it was based on

[@Bageenajr]

Other way around

[@Ellwitt]

@XxKimmyxVelocityxX Thanks so much!