Linda Thompson gained acclaim for her endlessly evocative singing voice. She imbued many of the original songs written by her one-time husband, Richard, with tenderness and soul. But she also wrote wonderful songs throughout the years. And she often performed them on her sporadically released solo albums.
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In 1985, her first solo album, One Clear Moment, contained the aching beauty “Telling Me Lies”. Later covered by the “Trio” of Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris, the song heartbreakingly dissects the disillusionment of someone who’s been led astray too many times.
“Lies” in Love
Richard and Linda Thompson released a series of critically acclaimed albums in the 70s and early 80s. For the most part, Richard wrote the songs and played exquisite lead guitar, while he and Linda traded off on vocals.
In 1982, they released the masterpiece Shoot Out The Lights. But their marriage fell apart shortly after the album’s release. In 1985, Linda delivered One Clear Moment. That LP included several songs, like “Telling Her Lies”, that she co-wrote with Betsy Cook. Sadly, any chance of a sustained recording career was doused by a recurrence of a condition known as spasmodic dysphonia that made it impossible for her to sing.
After the final tour with her husband, Thompson went to stay for a while with her friend Linda Ronstadt. A few years down the road, Ronstadt was putting together the Trio album, featuring her longtime friends and fellow musical legends Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.
The three women often went with antiquated material taken from traditional folk or the early days of country music on that record. But they also did a version of “Telling Me Lies”, with Ronstadt on lead vocals, that served as the emotional high point of the record.
Examining the Lyrics of “Telling Me Lies”
It’s easy to read “Telling Me Lies” as a post-mortem taken by Linda Thompson of her marriage to Richard. But that somehow short-changes what an amazing job she and co-writer Cook do of evoking betrayal and deceit. After all, those elements feature in the fracturing of so many romantic relationships. The song is universal in that respect.
In the first verse, the narrator candidly assesses her woeful state. “Whatever I try turns out wrong,” Thompson sings. “I seem like my own false witness/And I can’t go on.” Only in the second verse does she begin to address her ex and how things once were. “You told me you needed me forever,” she admits. “Nearly gave you the rest of my days.”
She blames herself for missing the signs. And she suggests that, knowing how it all turned out, she should have eliminated all the in-between angst and gone right to the hurt at the end. “Should have locked up all my silver,” she admits. “Brought the key right to your door.”
In the final verse, she speaks to the audience in the hopes that her example can be useful for others dealing with someone who has “a face for every season.” “Don’t waste your time in the arms of a man,” she warns. “Who’s no stranger to treason.”
The chorus is devastating, as the character explains how she continues to be haunted by the way it all turned out. “I cover my ears, I close my eyes,” Thompson sings. “Still hear your voice and it’s telling me lies.” For all the esteem she has gained for her singing, “Telling Me Lies” proves that Linda Thompson had the songwriting thing down pat as well.
Photo by Gems/Redferns
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