Formed i… Read Full Bio ↴Malinky is a Scottish folk band specialising in Scots song.
Formed in autumn 1998, the original members were Karine Polwart from Banknock, Stirlingshire (vocals, guitar, bouzouki), Steve Byrne from Arbroath (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Mark Dunlop from Garryduff, Co. Antrim (bodhrán, whistles, vocals) and English fiddler Kit Patterson.
First meeting to rehearse in early October that year, the band was largely formed to help Polwart fulfil a support slot at Edinburgh Folk Club some ten days later, supporting harpist and storyteller Robin Williamson, formerly of the Incredible String Band. The members had previously encountered each other around the lively pub session scene in Edinburgh in venues such as Sandy Bell's and the Royal Oak bars. Polwart was a social worker, Byrne a student of Scottish Studies, Dunlop a town planner with the city council, and Patterson a computer programmer from Plymouth.
The band's first album 'Last Leaves' was recorded in 1999 and released at Celtic Connections 2000, with the late Davy Steele as producer. In early 2001, Edinburgh-born Jon Bews, formerly of Burach, replaced Patterson on fiddle, and later that year Tyrone button box and whistle player Leo McCann was asked to join to expand the band's largely string-driven sound.
In September 2004 the band announced a major change of personnel. Polwart left to pursue a solo career and McCann's imminent fatherhood prompted him to return to his previous career in social work. Polwart and McCann worked their notice until February 2005, coincidentally the same month as Polwart swept the boards at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, catapulting her re-released 2003 solo album 'Faultlines' to greater heights.
Byrne, Dunlop and Bews continued the band with new members Fiona Hunter from Glasgow (vocals, cello) and Liverpool-born Ewan MacPherson (guitar, mandolin, mandola, tenor banjo, jew's harp, vocals), and a series of crossover concerts in January and February 2005 took place, featuring both old and new lineups, including a sellout show at Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
In June 2005 the band recorded their third album 'The Unseen Hours' at Watercolour Studios in Ardgour, Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands, and the album was released in November 2005, surprising many critics with its continuity from the band's previous work, and earning rave reviews with its strong commitment to traditional Scots ballads.
The Unseen Hours lineup toured Germany and the Netherlands in 2006 to great acclaim and in 2007 performed with Swedish ballad band Ranarim at the Celtic Connections festival as well as making their first sojourn to the USA and Canada.
In December 2007 MacPherson left the band to pursue other projects to be replaced by guitar and bouzouki player David Wood from Grindleford in Derbyshire, formerly of CrossCurrent.
Fiddler Mike Vass joined the band in 2008, previously best known for performing in a duo with his sister Ali Vass.
The Sound Of A Tear Not Cried
Malinky Lyrics
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And you did not let them in
And you did not care
What had brought them there
They were bones covered ower wi' skin
And when you looked again, they were five and ten
All sighing a sorrowful sound
Of the warning bell
Or the howl of a hunting hound?
Then a hundred more came to your door
A-mutterin' and a-makin' their mane
Still you scorned at the skaith
You were aye sick-laith
To keep them fae the wind and rain
As the night's grew long, did you hear the throng
Roar like a ralliach tide?
Through the rising flood
Did you hear your own blood
Or the sound of a tear not cried?
They will wait no more at your ha' door
For their waiting days are done
And there's no lock nor key
That can hold back the sea
There's no chains on the rising sun
The lyrics to Malinky's song, The Sound Of A Tear Not Cried, tell a story of a person who refused to show mercy or compassion to those who came to their door, no matter what their circumstances were. Even in the face of an increasing number of people needing help and shelter, the person refused to open their door and ignored the warning signs of impending danger. As the night wore on, the person heard the sound of people outside, but chose to listen to their own inner turmoil instead of any cries for help. Finally, the realization hits that it is too late to help those who needed it and that they will not come knocking again. The final lines of the song convey the idea that once the opportunity to show kindness is gone, there is no way to hold back the inevitable.
The lyrics are a poignant commentary on the dangers of selfishness and the importance of compassion and kindness. The story is also a metaphor for the inevitability of life's challenges and how people can choose to ignore the plight of others until it's too late. Through its powerful imagery and emotional resonance, the song conveys a message of hope and the need for individuals to be compassionate and caring in a world that can sometimes seem dark and foreboding.
Line by Line Meaning
Two men came to your ha' door
Two people arrived at your front door
And you did not let them in
You did not allow them inside
And you did not care
You were indifferent about their presence
What had brought them there
Their reason for coming was unimportant to you
They were bones covered ower wi' skin
They were very thin and malnourished-looking
And when you looked again, they were five and ten
Later, there were 15 people there
All sighing a sorrowful sound
They were all emitting a mournful noise
Did you hear the knell
Were you aware of the warning signal
Of the warning bell
The sound of the warning device
Or the howl of a hunting hound?
Perhaps it was the noise of a dog searching for its prey
Then a hundred more came to your door
Later, an additional 100 people showed up at your house
A-mutterin' and a-makin' their mane
They were grumbling and complaining
Still you scorned at the skaith
You disregarded the harm and suffering they were experiencing
You were aye sick-laith
You were always reluctant to help
To keep them fae the wind and rain
You did not provide shelter from the elements
As the night's grew long, did you hear the throng
As time passed, did you notice the large group of people gathered outside
Roar like a ralliach tide?
Were they making a noise similar to the sound of waves crashing on the shore?
Through the rising flood
As water levels began to rise
Did you hear your own blood
Were you able to hear your own heartbeat
Or the sound of a tear not cried?
Perhaps it was the noise of someone feeling emotional pain but not expressing it outwardly
They will wait no more at your ha' door
Those individuals will no longer be waiting outside your home
For their waiting days are done
They have waited for as long as they can
And there's no lock nor key
There is no physical barrier that can prevent them from going forward
That can hold back the sea
Just as nothing can prevent the ocean from advancing forward
There's no chains on the rising sun
The sun will continue to rise, regardless of any obstacles in its path.
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.