Richard
Burton Cummings Lyrics
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Nobody hears only that day
Nobody knows what's happened to Richard
Hopin' his lucks holdin'
Hopin' he's getting' on okay
Hopin his luck's holdin'
Nobody here even saw him walking away
Everybody 'round here had a kind word to say to the boy
Nobody knows how he fell in with such questionable man
But I'll tell you this
I'll tell you this
Somethin' has gone down
Somethin' has gone down
Hopin' his lucks holdin'
Hopin' he's getting' on
Hopin his luck's holdin'
Nobody here even realized Richard was gone
Spirits have come in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Spirits have come and in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Spirits have come and in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Spirits have come and in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Lines are holding trust, I say
Tell you we're coming another day
Sprits are coming in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Well nobody knows what's happened to Richard
Nobody here saw him leave that day
Well nobody knows what's happened to Richard
Hopin' his lucks holdin'
Hopin' he's getting' on okay
Hopin' his lucks holdin'
Nobody here even saw him walking away
Spirits have come in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Spirits have come and in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Spirits have come in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Spirits have come and in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Lines are holding trust, I say
Tell you we're coming another day
Sprits are coming in pieces I pray
The enemy says that he's lost his way
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
Nobody knows
What happened to Richard
The lyrics of Burton Cummings’ song “Richard” are shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. The song narrates the disappearance of a young boy named Richard from his hometown. The townspeople are at a loss to explain what happened to him as nobody saw him leave, and nobody knows where he went. The lyrics express their concerns and hopes that Richard is safe and that he finds himself in good luck.
The lyrics suggest that Richard was well-liked in his hometown, with everyone having a kind word to say about him. However, the lyrics also hint that Richard may have fallen in with a bad crowd, as the townspeople are puzzled as to how he ended up with questionable people. The singer suggests that something has gone down, but they are unsure what it is. The song lyrically conveys a sense of loss and longing as the townspeople hope that Richard is doing well and his luck is holding out.
The repetition of the chorus, "nobody knows what's happened to Richard," emphasizes the townspeople's uncertainty about his fate, which adds to the haunting and mysterious tone of the song. The song is open to interpretation, and the listener can speculate on what might have happened to Richard, making the song endlessly fascinating.
Line by Line Meaning
Well nobody knows what's happened to Richard
The singer muses on the fate of a character named Richard whose whereabouts are unknown.
Nobody hears only that day
All that's known is that Richard was last seen on a particular day and not much else is known after that.
Hopin' his lucks holdin'
The singer expresses hope that Richard is doing well and has luck on his side.
Hopin' he's getting' on okay
The artist hopes that Richard is getting along fine wherever he is.
Nobody here even saw him walking away
Richard appears to have disappeared without anyone noticing his departure.
Everybody 'round here always liked Richard
Richard was a well-liked person in the community where he lived.
Everybody 'round here had a kind word to say to the boy
People held Richard in high regard and had only positive things to say to him.
Nobody knows how he fell in with such questionable man
The artist is unsure of how Richard became involved with a certain sketchy character.
Somethin' has gone down
The artist suspects that something has happened to Richard and it's potentially not good.
Spirits have come in pieces I pray
The artist may be asking for some form of divine intervention or hoping that Richard will be protected in some way.
The enemy says that he's lost his way
The singer refers to some kind of foe or rival who may be responsible for the circumstances surrounding Richard's disappearance.
Lines are holding trust, I say
The artist seems to be relying on some kind of structure or support system in order to get through this difficult situation.
Tell you we're coming another day
The singer is likely determined to keep searching for Richard and will not be deterred by setbacks or doubts.
Nobody knows
The singer repeats this line to emphasize that there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty surrounding Richard's disappearance.
Contributed by Asher R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Greg McKee
Watching the master at the keyboard singing one of the coolest songs in his catalog...what a thrill to see it all come together in a raw, yet complete form! Awesome stuff Burton!
Snowy BWM
Burton - this is a gem. So glad you are updating it and putting it on the new CD. You really belt this one out ;) Snowy
santamara
Mystical! Love this! Thank you!
dougat
This whole CD is one of the best.. NO it is the best Burton has done! And that's not an easy feat!
Ronald Abelskamp
Burton makes people happy by doing what he likes, what a life. Skat on Burt!
totalrod2
Rock on Burton!
RJ67
Saw him sing this back in the mid-late 80's at the Ontario Place Forum.
Shell Trek
Please disregard the previous message... Doesn't matter what you put out... It all appears to be great! "You appear to have the... ... .... "There is no word created yet"!