Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You

A Memoir

By: Lucinda Williams

Narrated by: Lucinda Williams

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The iconic singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy winner opens up about her traumatic childhood in the Deep South, her years of being overlooked in the music industry, and the stories that inspired her enduring songs in this “bracingly candid chronicle” (The Wall Street Journal).

“[Williams’s] memoir transmutes the wisdom, pain, and hard-won joy of her life into stories that stick with you.”—Vogue

A WASHINGTON POST AND ROLLING STONE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Lucinda Williams’s rise to fame was anything but easy. Raised in a working-class family in the Deep South, she moved from town to town each time her father—a poet, a textbook salesman, a professor, a lover of parties—got a new job, totaling twelve different places by the time she was eighteen. Her mother suffered from severe mental illness and was in and out of hospitals. And when Williams was about a year old, she had to have an emergency tracheotomy—an inauspicious start for a singing career. But she was also born a fighter, and she would develop a voice that has captivated millions.

In Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You, Williams takes readers through the events that shaped her music—from performing for family friends in her living room to singing at local high schools and colleges in Mexico City, to recording her first album with Folkway Records and headlining a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall. She reveals the inspirations for her unforgettable lyrics, including the doomed love affairs with “poets on motorcycles” and the gothic southern landscapes of the many different towns of her youth, including Macon, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Williams spent years working at health food stores and record stores during the day so she could play her music at night, and faced record companies who told her that her music was not “finished,” that it was “too country for rock and too rock for country.” But her fighting spirit persevered, leading to a hard-won success that spans seventeen Grammy nominations and a legacy as one of the greatest and most influential songwriters of our time.

Raw, intimate, and honest, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You is an evocative reflection on an extraordinary woman’s life journey.

©2023 Lucinda Williams (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[Lucinda] Williams’s memoir is as flinty, earthy and plain-spoken as her songs. . . . [It] shows how deep [her] grit runs.”—The New York Times

“The often hilarious, occasionally harrowing Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You is a bracingly candid chronicle of a sui generis character plotting a ramshackle but ultimately triumphant trajectory. . . . Williams leaves few stones unturned.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Remarkable . . . Reading like it was written on a series of cocktail napkins in the absolutely best way, this ever-quotable memoir of a born songsmith has something to offer nearly any grownup who has listened to music for the last half-century.”—Booklist

Raw and honest!

I thoroughly enjoyed Lucinda's book. I don't think she is a greatest narrator, but I am glad she told her own story. She reads in without any drama, sort of flat. She is probably the greatest song writer in our country today. I thought the book was captivating and held my interest all along. I liked hearing backstory for many songs. Lucinda has pursued her music and not allowed others to box her up to box her up for marketing purposes, thank goodness for that. How bland she'd be if her spirit had been blighted. Lucinda is an indomitable artist and spirit.

Always within me

I was born in 69. Like my Oldsmobile 442 convertible I’ve had since 16 my dad gave me after he left my mother me and my 5 yr old brother and I followed . He Had $6 so I got the car and Outta his hair mostly . I named her Lucinda during Covid. Also a dog named Ray Ray . After mr Hubbard I gotta give Lucinda a redo but ray don’t get to ride he smells like skunk the cairn terror he is. I love their namesake’s more than most of the Stankalanks I’ve been in the drawer with. Thanks Lu you helped me get thru. From Big A
the Smith county Spoon

Highly entertaining. Love that she doesn't apologize for any aspects of herself or her artistry

Engaging, honest, in her own uniquely beautiful voice. Loved it. Highly entertaining. Love that she doesn't apologize for any aspects of herself or her artistry.

Amazing story! I will be teaching this book in my intro to nonfiction class at USC next year!

What a great book. All true and so much poetry through the pain. Thank you, Lu!

So insightful!

So glad she didn’t follow the advice to not tell her life’s story. It explains all the songs in such detail!

Delicious storytelling!

Lucinda's delivery was a bit flat and I sped up to 1.25x, but I loved the stories, hearing the names, and hearing about her ultimate happiness.

Lucinda Williams Don't tell anybody the secrets I told you

If course I had to listen to this almost from start to finish just after adding it to my library. I'm a long time fan and just hearing her voice was a great start. once into the stories

Gutsy honesty from a determined woman, a great role model for anyone seeking self-expression.

As a child raised by a mom damaged by her own childhood, Lucinda learned over time what she needed to allow her to create music which has brought the world joy, hope and compassion. Loved hearing her story in her uniquely accented expressive voice. A rich tale of her relationships - personal, business and professional - many of which inspired her songs or were other musicians whose work we also know and love.

An absolute gem

We are so lucky to get a memoir from such an incredible living artist and woman. This book is funny, devastating, beautiful, and the best part is that we get Lucinda herself reading it to us.

Loved Every Minute

I discovered Lucinda Williams just last year at the Texas State Fair and have been listening to her vast library of songs every day since then. I feel fortunate I went to her show that evening because I haven’t been this excited about an artist in 20 years. I started with her newest album (my favorite) and worked my way backwards. I guess she was never on my musical radar because I always heard her name in the context of country music, and I mostly listen to some type of rock or singer/songwriter stuff; but I was in Texas at the Texas State Fair, so I thought I’d see what the legend was all about. Man, can she rock! I believe her book is like her music: Original without boundaries, soulful, brave, edgy, and truthful. a must read for any music fan.

I am a fan for life. I think I’ll give a listen to this book again and again.

Highly recommend.