Lyr Add: Silence or Tears

Subject: Lyr Add: SILENCE OR TEARS or WHEN WE TWO PARTED
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 07:39 AM

Here are the lyrics to the song as recorded by Norman Blake, as requested by Murray MacLeod. The words are pretty true to the poem "When We Two Parted" by George Gordon, Lord Byron. Will transcribe those later, if anyone is interested.

SILENCE OR TEARS
Lord Byron

G			C	     G
  When we two parted in silence and tears
  C		G	A	  D7
  Half broken-hearted to sever for years
          G			         C		   G
  The love we had shared, it no longer could be
   C		G		D7	   G
  Now you don't care and you're setting me free.    

(Chorus)
  G	         C	         G  A	   D7
  If I should meet you after long years
  G		C		G  D7	      G
  How should I greet you, with silence or tears?

The dew of the morning brought chill to my brow
It felt like a warning of what I feel now
Our vows are all broken, my heart feels the pain
I hear your name mentioned and share in its shame.

In secret we met and in silence I grieve
Your heart could forget and your spirit deceive
They know not I know you, I know you too well
Long shall I miss you too deeply to tell.

HTML preformat commands added. But I still don’t know if the chords are properly aligned. Tab characters don’t work too well in HTML. --JoeClone, 26-Mar-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: GUEST,Winters Wages
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 11:04 AM

Barbara, do you know anymore information about the poem. I remember hearing a woman by the name of "Maggie"??? do not know the last name, sing this on NPR. The words had been changed around just a little. The woman I believe was from Scotland. You wouldn't happen to know her full name would you. It is beautiful in words and music as well. Regards WW

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 01:08 PM

According to my old English Lit book, Byron was a dissolute and promiscuous aristocrat who was nevertheless adored by many. He had many affairs with married women, and a long-term incestuous relationship with his half-sister who was raised apart from him. One section from the original poem which was modified in the song to significantly change the meaning:

Thy vows are all broken, and light is thy fame
I hear thy name spoken and share in its shame.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: GUEST,Winters Wages
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 05:23 PM

Thanks Barbara..I also was told he had written some plays as well back in those days. Thanks lots Cheers WW

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 07:00 PM

Lots of information about Byron  here.

I haven't heard Norman Blake's recording; if this is the same adaptation that I'm familiar with, it was set to music by Martyn Wyndham-Read.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 08:42 PM

Here's a link to CDNOW to the album "Just Gimme Something I'm Used To" with a sound clip of "Silence or Tears."

Norman & Nancy Blake's Version

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 10:35 PM

Thanks, Barbara.  It's a very short clip and a very different style, but I think it's Wyndham Reed's tune, though they seem to have simplified it a bit.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 04:36 PM

The Scottish Group "Sangsters" do a wonderful version of this - check it out!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: GUEST,Willa
Date: 01 Jul 01 - 01:50 PM

Barbara, look for another recent thread on this topic, Lyr add silence and tears, for more info; sorry I can't do blickys, but I'm sure some kind catter will do the honours.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silence or Tears
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Jul 01 - 09:04 PM

Barbara's message was more than a year ago; Tattie has just revived this old thread to advertise a new cover version of the song.  The recent thread, started by somebody who hadn't noticed that we have a very good onsite search engine (argh!!), is here: Lyrics for Silence and Tears