Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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No Use In Crying
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards / Ron Wood)

Pathé Marconi Studios (EMI Studios), Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France,
June 10 - October 19, 1979 and Electric Ladyland Studios, New York City,
New York, US, November - December 1979

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ron Wood - electric guitar, backing vocals
Ian Stewart - piano
Nicky Hopkins - organ
Nanette Workman - backing vocals

Ain't no use in crying, stay away from me
Ain't no use in crying, stay away from me
Ain't no use in crying, stay away from me

Standing in the kitchen, looking way out across the fields
You see a face in the window, it’s not real, it’s not real

Ain't no use in crying, stay away from me, stay away
Ain't no use, ain’t no use, ain’t no use
Ain't no use, ain’t no use, stay away from me, stay away
Ain't no use in crying, stay away from me, stay away

Standing at the station, you’re gazing down the track
There ain't no train coming, baby, I ain't never, never coming back

Standing in the balcony, looking way out across the sea
If you see your ship come a-sailing, it’s not me, it’s not me
It's not me, it’s not me, it’s not me, it’s not me, stay away from me
No use, no use, use, use, use, use

Ain't no use, ain't no use, ain't no use, ain't no use, stay away
Ain't no use in crying, stay away, stay away, stay away from me
Ain't no use in crying, stay away from me

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Start Me Up / No Use In Crying” 7” single
(Rolling Stones Records RS 21003) US, August 6, 1981



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-25 14:48 by René.

It's a gem. Blends in perfectly with the other songs on the second half of Tattoo You, but with an ambience of its own.

I remember on my vinyl version an extra 'It's not me' behind Jagger that I don't hear on my CD. Their last great album blues song?

Love it . Especially Micks "no use, use, use" falsetto bit.

What an atmosphere - it's like a heavy piece of fabric embroidered with sobs and heartache
A blues soul Bayeux tapestry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-06-24 13:14 by with sssoul.

Here is the outtake version, which is 1 minute longer. This may date from 10 June 1979 in Paris, because three of those Paris outtakes clock in at 4:24, 4:26, and 4:27.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-06-24 10:35 by stonehearted.

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24FPS
I remember on my vinyl version an extra 'It's not me' behind Jagger that I don't hear on my CD. Their last great album blues song?

Surely you mean soul song?

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DandelionPowderman
Surely you mean soul song?

All right all right, have it your way! But "a soul Bayeux tapestry" sounded less better to me
_{[wandering off muttering about quibbles over genre boundaries ... freakin fine track either way!]}

Love it......probably something they could still pull off live....

Love this beautiful piece of blue eyed soul very dearly.

I can't help but think that Mick had been influenced by the Bee Gees around this time with that use of falsetto on this and Emotional Rescue.

Tattoo You is an album of two distinct sides - the rocking side one and the dreamier, more contemplative side 2 which features a romantic suite of thoughtful reflection but also lecherous desire.

That suite starts with Tops, maybe a bit of self-deprecation going on here with Mick taking the Mick out of classic seduction lines. Well, obviously they worked, as for me, the next song Heaven is absolutely carnal and one of the Stones' most beautiful songs. It's dreamy, sensual and captures that woozy, floating feeling of getting it on.

No Use In Crying for me is the pay off - perhaps given by an old roue to one of his many conquests who's pleading to see him again.

Who knows if it's about Mick and a flame and quite frankly, who cares but I sure wish they'd play it live.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-06-24 12:26 by Silver Dagger.

Well, a track from my most beloved Stones album... Just a while ago I was praising "Neighbours", the only track I think is a filler there, so no bad words for "No Use In Crying"...

Silver Dagger put the song into context - B-side of the album - and I think alike; it belongs there, is essential there, and I usually listen and thinking the song as a part of the whole side, very rarely seperately. But: by the way. it is a B-side of "Start Me Up" single, and fits damn well as a contrast number. A great single altogether.

Just thinking of this blues/soul-distinction DandelionPowderman and with sssoul discussed. For me the boundaries is not that important either, and I can't say where to put this one, say, if "Down in the Hole" is more bluesier and this one more "soulier", I don't know. A bit like trying to figure how to categorize Bobby "Blue" Bland. Another chance to remember him and his legacy.

If there is something to speculate about the track one could be how big Roonie's contribution is in it. Wood's sketch and Jagger finishing the melody lines and lyrics?

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-06-24 12:46 by Doxa.

The theme and the feel of a song can be pretty blue in many genres, without being blues songs.

Then we have happy-sounding songs like Sweet Home Chicago, which still definitely is a blues.

That can be today's riddle, if I may.

Let's leave it at that

Well, what I meant was: Of course Dandelion P is correct about the genre, all down the line.
Not that it's important ... which Dandelion P is of course quite hip to as well. He's cool :E

The lyric sounds a lot more like Ronnie than the Mick to me (although I'm sure the Mick contributed words -
Ronnie's said that's a big part of the secret to getting his songs on albums)

(And since Heaven has been mentioned: This is going to sound creepy to anyone who hears it as carnal,
but I believe Heaven is Mick's song to his very young daughter. It's sensual, not sexual.
Kissing and running away: she's a little girl) (But of course any great lyric has many layers of meaning.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-06-24 14:59 by with sssoul.

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with sssoul
Well, what I meant was: Dandelion P is correct about the genre, all down the line.

The lyric sounds a lot more like Ronnie than the Mick to me (although I'm sure the Mick contributed words -
Ronnie's said that's a big part of the secret to getting his songs on albums)

(And since Heaven has been mentioned: This is going to sound creepy to anyone who hears it as carnal,
but I believe Heaven is Mick's song to his toddler-age daughter. It's sensual, not sexual.
Kissing and running away: she's a little girl)

It's whatever you want it to be. There are no rules for interpretation. That side works as a great musical soundtrack for getting it on much like early 70s Marvin Gaye albums.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
The theme and the feel of a song can be pretty blue in many genres, without being blues songs.

Then we have happy-sounding songs like Sweet Home Chicago, which still definitely is a blues.

That can be today's riddle, if I may.

Let's leave it at that

Yeah, Keith has been always right in this one: "it's the same shit, man"...

But now when I recall, when I made several years ago a "definitive Rolling Stones blues collection" - is somewhere there in the back pages of IORR - I was very liberal in defining the "blues", but even then I didn't include "No Use In Crying" there, But maybe I am more liberal now. But it took me years to view "Down In The Hole" as a pure blues song, but seemingly for many here that is taken as granted.

- Doxa

Oh baby, what a gorgeous song, so poignant and beautiful, and one of the five reasons why Side 2 of Tattoo You is a masterpiece.

Vocally, this must be one of Jagger’s finest hours, as he pours his heart out in every line, taking no prisoners. “Stay away, stay away from me!!” Love it when he breaks into that sweet, heartbreaking falsetto at 2:27. And those lyrics, man, they just cut like a knife. “There ain’t no train comin’, baby … I ain’t never, never comin’ back…”

Chris Kimsey’s production here, as on the entire album, is absolutely stellar, with Charlie’s drums so crisp they just punch a hole in your gut, and the backing vocals sounding real, real nice. That languid, bluesy beat is simply hypnotic. And as always, Nicky Hopkins’ piano is sheer perfection.

Drew

The first time I heard this song was as the b-side of "Start Me Up," prior to the release of Tattoo You, and I thought it was brilliant--great song, great performance, great production. I recall playing it over and over on a sweltering hot summer night, more happy than words can describe that the Stones could create something so understated, yet powerful once again. The Emotional Rescue album had been a step down from Some Girls, and for the most part, kind of... noisy. Nothing on it was as subtle as this.

There's a yearning, romantic aspect of this song that reminded me of the Brian Jones days, and I recall that one reviewer (maybe Hit Parader) came to the same conclusion. The same part of me that loves "Lady Jane" and "Ruby Tuesday" appreciates this song.

And as much as I hear the ghost of Brian, it's totally a Ron Wood thing. This was a track that he wrote for Emotional Rescue, which he mentioned in Rolling Stone when that album came out that he was disappointed that they didn't use.

The piano has the same feel me as the Ronnie Lane songs "Glad and Sorry" and "Just Another Honky" found on side two of Faces' Ooh La La album.

Headphones, late at night...

All of side two is great. Love it!

What really demonstrates the power of the Stones in their A-Game is that in some weird way this song has always been the also-ran, or the slight one. by omission. The other 4 tracks all have a bit of a story or an aura. This one left over and look how powerful it is.
It's like the "Pretty Beat Up" or the "Turd on the Run" of it's side.

Tops is the weak link, if there is one. And Exile wouldn't be Exile without Turd.

Quote
gimmelittledrink
Tops is the weak link, if there is one. And Exile wouldn't be Exile without Turd.

Yes, kind of my point. Every litter has a runt.

One of those songs that's great to listen to after a tough day. I like When Mick sings in his high falsetto and his voice cracks. One of my favorite vocals of all time.

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Palace Revolution 2000

Quote
gimmelittledrink
Tops is the weak link, if there is one. And Exile wouldn't be Exile without Turd.

Yes, kind of my point. Every litter has a runt.

Except that Tops is no runt.

Drew

Tops a weak link? No way. A wonderful soul ballad that sounds authentic, and has delicious vocals. Wink link on Tattoo? Neighbors, or Hang Fire.

For years I felt that Heaven was the weaker song on TY, but today I love it.

There just isn´t a weak song on that album. Neighbours? No way - love it!

As Stu said, there's no filler on Tattoo You.

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Headphones, late at night...

All of side two, and this song in particular, is especially soothing when you're in the middle of a long-haul flight, trying to sleep (half-drunk, nauseous, disorientated, jet-lagged) amongst strangers in the dark cabin.

It's the last brilliant filler the Stones ever made. Tops is another. TY is the last great album they ever made.

Quote
Doxa

Quote
DandelionPowderman
The theme and the feel of a song can be pretty blue in many genres, without being blues songs.

Then we have happy-sounding songs like Sweet Home Chicago, which still definitely is a blues.

That can be today's riddle, if I may.

Let's leave it at that

Yeah, Keith has been always right in this one: "it's the same shit, man"...

But now when I recall, when I made several years ago a "definitive Rolling Stones blues collection" - is somewhere there in the back pages of IORR - I was very liberal in defining the "blues", but even then I didn't include "No Use In Crying" there, But maybe I am more liberal now. But it took me years to view "Down In The Hole" as a pure blues song, but seemingly for many here that is taken as granted.

- Doxa

What other genre would Down in a Hole be????? Not pop, soul, reggae,r&b...etc. I never thought it was anything but blues.