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Toy Jay
© 1971 I wrote the song about a toy jay (maybe it was a finch) that I found in the gutter outside my home. After writing the song I realized that it might be interpreted as ‘jay’ that’s short for ‘joint’ that’s short for a marijuana cigarette. Sure. Why not? When I wrote the song…
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Thoughts of Freedom
Written for the late Great Aunt Mary of Amsterdam, Holland. She was a philanthropist supporting protection of the historical Dutch buildings, protection of the wild birds in Northern Holland, and donor of the world’s largest foster child program.
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The Smile of my Heart
Original title: “Daddy, Daddy; I don’t want to go” – Background: Asia Cottom, 11, was on American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington to Los Angeles when the plane crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people aboard. Asia was a student at Backus Middle School in Washington where her father coached basketball, patrol the halls and…
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So Soft
© 1986 This one’s to my wife of 43 years and for my friend forever (one and the same.) None of it is true except for the ‘love’ part. That’s what romantic ‘anything’ is all about: It’s just a fluttering of universally accepted nonsense whose shallow meanings are as deep as ye’ need to go. …
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Prison Anthem
This song is a tribute to Nobel prize winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, whose life and survival of a Siberian Gulag (prison camp) “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” helped bring down the communist regime. This song is specifically about life and work in “The First Circle”, and about love between the protagonist and…
Papa Hardy
Songs of Peace, Love, and Legacy — The Music of Jeffrey Charles Hardy
This is how it all started…
Jeffrey Charles Hardy—affectionately known as Papa Hardy—is a singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in a lifetime of purpose, compassion, and connection. He began writing and recording songs as an extension of his life’s mission through his nonprofit, Care For Peace, an organization devoted to building peace and opportunity in some of the world’s most underserved communities. His music became a powerful way to communicate the heart of his humanitarian work: unity, empathy, and the shared human spirit.
As Jeffrey’s journey continued, so did the evolution of his musical expression. Marriage, fatherhood, and eventually becoming a grandfather added new dimensions to his songwriting. These personal milestones brought a richness and emotional depth to his lyrics—stories of love, legacy, and the quiet, powerful beauty of family life. His songs are more than melodies; they are living reflections of a man who sees the world not only as it is, but as it could be.
Whether he’s writing about peace across borders or the joy of holding a grandchild’s hand, Jeffrey’s music is always personal, always heartfelt, and always hopeful. Papa Hardy is a celebration of his life’s work—through service, through song, and through stories that inspire connection across generations.
Jeffrey Charles Hardy, “Papa Hardy”
Singer/Songwriter