Rhythm guitarist Dave Pritchard, bass guitarist Greg Masters and drummer Roger Spencer were the core of a band initally known as Billy King and the Nightriders, then later known as Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders and briefly as just The Nightriders.
In 1966 they advertised for a new guitarist/vocalist, Jeff Lynne applied and joined the band. After releasing one single they changed their name to Idle Race. Under Jeff Lynne's leadership they released two albums that sold poorly, despite support from John Peel and Kenny Everett.
In 1970, Jeff Lynne decided to join The Move so he and Roy Wood could work on what would eventually become Electric Light Orchestra
The remaining members of The Idle Race recruited 2 new members and released one further album. After Greg Masters left the group they became The Steve Gibbons Band.
She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune
The Idle Race Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And carried a yellow balloon
She traded her love
For a Spanish doubloon
And talked to the people
The people who are
Now I have a clock on the wall
It tells me how long she's been gone
Gone to the people
The people who are
She lived in a sorcerer's room
And pounded the table
And brandished the broom
She turned ten thousand
When she touched the moon
And turned to the people
The people who are
Waaa waa waa
Rain came down and scattered away
The old antique caretaker's children that play
Early that morning she passed away
Passed to the people The people who are
She sang!
She sang hymns out of tune
And carried a yellow balloon
She traded her love for a Spanish doubloon
And talked to the people
The people who are
The Idle Race’s “She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune” is a song about a woman who lived an eccentric life, and the lingering effects of her presence. The song opens with the image of the woman singing hymns out of tune, and carrying a yellow balloon. The lines, “She traded her love for a Spanish doubloon/And talked to the people/The people who are” suggest that the woman exchanged her love for something valuable, possibly to finance her unusual lifestyle. The phrase “the people who are” is repeated throughout the song, and may refer to the people who were affected by the woman’s life and death.
The second verse introduces the idea that the woman has since passed away, with the line, “Now I have a clock on the wall/It tells me how long she’s been gone/Gone to the people/The people who are”. The clock symbolizes the passage of time since the woman’s death, and the fact that she is not forgotten. The third verse describes the woman’s living situation, in a sorcerer’s room where she pounded the table and brandished a broom. The line, “She turned ten thousand/When she touched the moon”, makes reference to the idea that the woman lived a life that was larger than life itself. And once again, the phrase “the people who are” is used to suggest that the woman had an impact on those around her.
The song ends with the repetition of the opening verse, “She sang hymns out of tune/And carried a yellow balloon/She traded her love for a Spanish doubloon/And talked to the people/The people who are”. The fact that the song ends where it began, and the use of repetition throughout the song, underscores the idea that the woman’s presence is still felt long after her passing.
Line by Line Meaning
She sang hymns out of tune
She sang religious songs, but not perfectly in key.
And carried a yellow balloon
She had a bright, happy presence - symbolized by the balloon.
She traded her love for a Spanish doubloon
She gave her heart away for something worth little - perhaps a man who didn't deserve her.
And talked to the people
The people who are
She was kind and conversational, and had a genuine interest in connecting with others.
Now I have a clock on the wall
It keeps time and that isn't all
It tells me how long she's been gone
Gone to the people
The people who are
The singer is grieving and tracking the time since she passed, knowing that she's now among the deceased.
She lived in a sorcerer's room
And pounded the table
And brandished the broom
She turned ten thousand
When she touched the moon
And turned to the people
The people who are
She was a spirited person, empowered by imagination and dreamlike experiences - and she found common ground with other people who shared her energy.
Waaa waa waa
This is a vocalization that doesn't have any explicit meaning. It could be interpreted as expressing raw emotion or lament.
Rain came down and scattered away
The old antique caretaker's children that play
Early that morning she passed away
Passed to the people
The people who are
Her death is marked by a somber natural event, and she's now passed on to be among other deceased people who have passed before her.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., LITTLE KDOE MUSIC
Written by: JESSE LEE KINCAID, LEE KINCAID JESSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind