Lyr Req: No Telling (Linda Thompson)

Subject: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,Puffenkinty
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 05:44 PM

I've bought Linda Thompson's latest CD, "Fashionably Late"
and think it is terrific. I am now trying to learn some of the
songs. Does anyone have a copy of the lyrics to "No Telling"?
There are some words I'm having trouble understanding, specifically:
Verse 1 - "Just some old hawker??? to judge by his bags???"
Verse 4 - "Oh the queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines"/
          "Each night at the Old Time Place????"

Thanks for your help.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 06:47 PM

That has been a hard search with no results. I did listen to a bit of the song and it did sound like hawker but I caught to judge by his rags. Sorry, no help here
Peace, Rustic

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: My guru always said
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 05:31 AM

I'll be trying to transcribe the lyrics over the next couple of days & will check back to here to see what people think.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: My guru always said
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 12:04 PM

Have just managed to transcribe it & am still not sure about the 'Time Place' bit in v4. But v1 is definitely 'just some old hawker to judge by his rags' as Rustic Rebel thought. And 'oh the Queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines' is definite too!

Any other thoughts about 'the old time place'???? Old Time Palace possibly? I really couldn't hear it that well.

By the way, does anyone know who's doing the harmony in it? It sure sounds like Kate Rusby!

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: breezy
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 12:34 PM

yes it is K R and I asked on an earlier thread about 'Old Prime Mouse Steak' as I reckoned it was the name of a diner.
Can anyone conatact the diva herself?, after all if Harvey can answer anyone can.
In the states they got it wuth the lyrcs but noone has bought it yet least of all contributed to our enquiries.
So we'll wait.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Willa
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 12:38 PM

My Guru
I checked my copy and you're right. Kate Rusby provides acoustic guitar and harmony vocals on this track.

Puffenkinty. There is a similar thread here thread.cfm?threadid=55028#853832

I wish the unknown guest on that thread, who claims to have the lyrics, would help out!

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: My guru always said
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 02:37 PM

Am typing it out later tonight so I'll post lyrics here if that doesn't create any problems with copyright etc. There'll be a Query on the Old Time Place of course!!!!

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Willa
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 03:43 PM

Guru
This is as far as I've got;it will be interesting to compare your version. I still can't get that crucial phrase!
In case anyone's not familiar with the term "hawker", it means someone who sells items door to door. It was common at one time to see notices "No hawkers or circulars" on house gates.

Subject: Lyr Add: NO TELLING (Linda Thompson)
From: Willa
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 03:51 PM

NO TELLING © Linda Thompson

He came in the ballroom, just a crazy old man.
His eyes seemed to glaze in the light.
Just some old hawker, to judge by his rags,
Come in from the cold of the night.
The whole room was dancing, they paid him no mind
As he slipped (stepped?) to the bar and said, "Please be so kind."
And the music kept ringing in the back of his mind.
No telling what a love song will do.

As the queen of the ballroom sang a favourite song,
He stood with his glass in his hand.
He was weary of living the days of his life
And tonight was the last he could stand.
He shut out the future, he shut out the past,
And even the present was running out fast.
The queen of the ballroom said, "Make this the last."
No telling what a love song will do.

As she started to sing for the very last time,
He trembled as he stood there alone.
And the pain he'd been holding inside for so long
Just fell from his heart as a song.
It was only a love song, simple and clear
And he bowed as it shook him with every last tear.
And he cried from relief and he cried half from fear.
No telling what a love song will do.

Oh, the queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines
Each night at the Old Timers????
And maybe it's something they put in the wine,
Her beauty refuses to fade.
"I think she got married to a stranger", they say,
"Just a crazy old man who came passing one day."
And the whole town still dances and the music still plays.
No telling what a love song will do.
No telling what a love song will do.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,Aidan Crossey
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 04:15 PM

Line 4 verse 3 should read "Just fell from his heart and was gone"

Line 2 verse 4 should read "Each night out of old kindness sake"

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: My guru always said
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 05:27 PM

Willa: Thanks so much for saving my typing :-) I think 'slipped' is right BTW. Apart from an 'and' and an 'as' my transcription is almost the same.

Of Aiden's kind alterations, the first I would have mentioned, the second I wouldn't have guessed in a million years. Thanks too Aiden!!

I must admit, the possibility of 'rags' being 'bags' would probably work as a 'hawker' would perhaps be a travelling saleman? I wonder if we can get a definitive answer for this one?

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Willa
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 06:01 PM

Thanks for your help, Aidan.
Guru. I think 'rags' is correct. A hawker, as I understand, carried cheap goods for sale and was likely to make a poor living.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: My guru always said
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 06:24 PM

Ok Willa, rags it is then :-))

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Noreen
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 08:54 AM

What lovely words.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 09:28 AM

And a lovely tune!

Lovely delivery by Linda.

Lovely harmonies by Kate Rusby.

Lovely backing by Kate Rusby's band.

My second favorite folk track of last year (after Eliza Carthy's "Diego's Bold Shore")!

And my favourite folk album of last year.

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 01:38 PM

Got it for Christmas and love that track too so thanks for putting up the words

Subject: RE: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 08:51 PM

I've been hearing that line as

"The queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines
Each night at the old "Kindness Sake" "

(As if that was the name of the ballroom.)

Mary Katherine <------willing to be wrong

Subject: Lyr Add: NO TELLING (from Tom Russell)
From: Midchuck
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 02:24 PM

Just got Tom Russell's new one, "Cowboys, Indians, Horses, Guns."

He sings this on it, with no changes except the occupation of the protagonist, to fit the theme of the recording. As he sings it, I hear the lyrics like this:

He came in to the ballroom, just a crazy old man.
And his eyes seemed to glaze in the light.
He was just some old cowboy, to judge by his rags,
Come in from the cold of the night.
The whole room was dancing, they paid him no mind
As he slipped to the bar and said, "Would you please be so kind."
And the music kept ringing in the back of his mind.
No telling what a love song will do.

The queen of the ballroom sang her favourite song,
As he stood with his glass in his hand.
He was weary of living the days of his life
And tonight was the last he could stand.
He shut out the future, he shut out the past,
And even the present was closing down fast.
The queen of the ballroom said, "We'll make this the last."
No telling what a love song will do.

As she started to sing for the very last time,
He trembled as he stood there alone.
And the pain he'd been holding inside for so long
Just fell from his heart and was gone.
It was only a love song, simple and clear
And he bowed as it shook him with every last tear.
And he cried from relief and he cried half from fear.
No telling what a love song will do.

Oh, the queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines
Each night at the Old Time Parade.
And maybe it's something they put in the wine,
But her beauty refuses to fade.
"I think she got married to a stranger", they say,
"Just a crazy old cowboy who rode in one day."
And the whole town still dances and the music still plays.
There's no telling what a love song will do.

And the whole town is dancing and the music still plays.
There's no telling what a love song will do.

It's a keeper.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,waddy
Date: 04 Jun 15 - 03:58 PM

I hear "each night at the Old Kind Mistake" But could be Old Kindness Sake. It would be the name of the pub. I like both name ideas.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Elmore
Date: 05 Jun 15 - 01:16 AM

Googled the daylights out of this. There are several covers to the song. Both Priscilla Herdman and Niamh Parsons sing " Old Kindness Sake." Perhaps Tom Russell sings something else, since his arrangement is quite different from the original. A fine song, in any case.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,Niamh Parsons
Date: 05 Jun 15 - 04:46 AM

I recorded the song on 'The Old Simplicity' album - got the words from Linda -

He came in the ballroom, just a crazy old man
His eyes seem to glaze in the light
Just some old hawker to judge from his rags
Come in from the cold of the night
And the whole room was dancing, they paid him no mind
As he slipped to the bar and said 'please be so kind'
And the music kept ringing in the back of his mind
No telling what a love song will do

As the queen of the ballroom sang her favourite song
He stood with a glass in his hand
He was weary of living the days of his life
And tonight was the last he could stand
He shut out the future, he shut out the past
And even the present was running out fast
As the queen of the ballroom said 'make this the last'
No telling what a love song will do

As she started to sing for the very last time
He trembled as he stood there alone
And the pain he'd been holding inside for so long
Just fell from his heart and was gone
It was only a love song, simple and clear
But he bowed as it shook him with every last tear
And he cried with relief and he cried half with fear
No telling what a love song will do

Oh the queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines
Each night at the 'Old Kindness Sake'
And maybe it's something they put in the wine
But her beauty refuses to fade
I think she got married to a stranger they say
Just a crazy old man who came passing one day
And the whole town still dances and the music still plays
No telling what a love song will do
No telling what a love song will do

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,#
Date: 05 Jun 15 - 09:08 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaY7_hvsX-A

Linda Thompson singing it on TouTube.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Elmore
Date: 05 Jun 15 - 04:40 PM

Thanks to Niamh Parsons for posting the words to "No Telling." She sings it beautifully on the above mentioned album.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: Elmore
Date: 05 Jun 15 - 04:48 PM

Attn: Guest#. Do you really think that's Linda Thompson you blue clickied on Youtube? Well it's not. Have I been trolled again?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,#
Date: 05 Jun 15 - 05:04 PM

LOL. Sorry about that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 15 - 01:27 PM

I second Elmore's praise for Niamh Parson's version of the song, which is on YouTube.

That whole album is extremely beautiful, including, just as one example, a rendition of David Olney's "1917". As with many really talented singers in the folk style, I probably would never have heard of Niamh Parsons if not for Mudcat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,Niamh Parsons
Date: 09 Jun 15 - 08:44 AM

Thankyou for your kind words...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,alex s no cookie
Date: 09 Jun 15 - 11:27 AM

Niamh does the best version of "Rigs of Rye" too
Luv ya, NP!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Linda Thompson's 'No Telling'
From: GUEST,alex s no cookie
Date: 09 Jun 15 - 11:29 AM

Ey up, how did I do that? :(