The Thompsons recorded three albums I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974), Hokey Pokey (1975) and Pour Down Like Silver (1975) before they decided to leave the music business and moved to a Sufi commune in East Anglia. Songwriting was by Richard throughout, lead vocals generally by Linda,and backing by a consistent core band of English folk-rock stalwarts
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight showed a clear development from Richard Thompson's first solo effort Henry The Human Fly with Linda's vocals adding grace, as well as the opportunity for Richard to write from a female perspective. Although Thompson's trademark gloom is already evident, the lightness and beauty of the arrangements counterbalances this to produce moments of great beauty. The use of brass, from the renowned CWS silver band in particular takes forward Thompson's continuing crusade to find a more contemporary and ordinary expression of Englishness in music,(as opposed to say the forays into the Morris form of his Fairport contemporary Ashley Hutchings, solo and with The Albion Band). The next year's release, Hokey Pokey to some extent repeats the formula, although it is improved in production values, and is stylistically more adventurous still. A Heart Needs a Home is a minor miracle of songwriting, expressing the longing for love without cynicism and has a standout multi-tracked vocal from Linda.
Pour Down Like Silver extended the reach of Richard and Linda's music, and without the occasional weaker tracks of the preceding releases. Here in the writing cynicism is balanced with humour, (Hard Luck Stories, Streets of Paradise), and love and need is expressed directly, and to touching effect ( Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair, Beat the Retreat). The impact of Sufism on their lives is expressed in Night Comes In, which borrows imagery from Sufi mystic poetry, and the practice of finding union with the Spirit through dance. The playing, arrangements and production are uniformly excellent throughout.
In 1978, Thompson decided to take his family out of the commune and go back to their old home in Hampstead. He also decided to return to making music, partly because, as he commented at the time, he'd come to realise "that [he] wasn't really any good at anything else".
Re-uniting the core band, the resulting album, First Light was warmly received by the critics but did not sell particularly well. Neither did its follow up, 1979's harder-edged and more cynical Sunnyvista. Chrysalis Records did not take up their option to renew the contract, and the Thompsons found themselves without a contract, but not without admirers.
About a year later Joe Boyd signed the Thompsons to his small Hannibal label and a new album was recorded. Shoot Out the Lights included new recordings of many of the songs recorded in 1980, and was clearly a very strong album. Linda Thompson was pregnant during the sessions, and so the album's release was held back until the Thompsons could tour in support of the new album. Linda's pregnancy also meant that she did not sing on all of the songs.
On its release in 1982, Shoot Out the Lights was lauded by critics and sold fairly well - especially in the USA. The Thompsons, now a couple for professional purposes only, toured the USA to support the album and then went their separate ways. Both the album and their live shows were well received by the American media, and Shoot Out the Lights effectively relaunched their career - just as their marriage was falling apart.
As against the first phase of their career, this last offering is sparer, without the instrumental augmentation that characterized the earlier albums, much more rock orientated, and altogether more ferocious. Although Thompson in interviews has always resisted over-personal interpretations of his songs, it is difficult not to see in its energy, tone and themes the difficulties of the final stages of the Thompson's marriage, transmuted into musical gold.
A Heart Needs a Home
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I feel about you
I'm never going to run away
I'm never going to run away
Never knew the way
When I lived without you
I'm never going to run away
I'm never going to run away
I came to you when
No one could hear me
I'm sick and weary
Of being alone
Empty streets and
Hungry faces
The world's no place when
You're on your own
A heart needs a home
Some people say
That I should forget you
I'm never going to be a fool
I'm never going to be a fool
A better life, they say
If I'd never met you
I'm never going to be a fool
I'm never going to be a fool
Tongues talk fire and
Eyes cry rivers
Indian givers
Hearts of stone
Paper ships and
Painted faces
The world's no place when
You're on your own
A heart needs a home
Richard Thompson's song "A Heart Needs A Home" is a testament to the power of love and companionship. The song tells the story of a man who has found his home in the arms of his lover. He declares his undying devotion to her, stating that he will never run away from her. Before he met her, he was lost and alone, wandering through empty streets and surrounded by hungry faces. But now that he has found his home, he will never leave.
The chorus of the song captures the essence of the central theme. The singer declares that "a heart needs a home," suggesting that love and companionship are essential to our well-being. The verses are filled with images of loneliness and isolation, emphasising the importance of finding a place where you belong.
The second verse is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the challenges we face when we're on our own. The singer describes how people talk about him, telling him to forget his lover and move on. But he refuses to listen to them, knowing that his heart belongs to her.
Overall, "A Heart Needs A Home" is a powerful tribute to the importance of love and companionship. It reminds us that we all need a place where we belong and that true happiness can only be found in the arms of those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
I know the way
I have a clear understanding
That I feel about you
Of my affection for you
I'm never going to run away
I won't abandon you
Never knew the way
I was lost
When I lived without you
Prior to meeting you
I came to you when
I sought refuge with you
No one could hear me
No one else could listen to my troubles
I'm sick and weary
I'm exhausted and emotional
Of being alone
Being isolated has been difficult
Empty streets and
Desolate roads and
Hungry faces
People in need
The world's no place when
Life is tough because
You're on your own
You don't have any support around you
A heart needs a home
Everyone needs a safe space
Some people say
There are others who advise that
That I should forget you
That I need to move on from you
I'm never going to be a fool
I won't listen to their advice
A better life, they say
They claim that life would be easier
If I'd never met you
If we never crossed paths
Tongues talk fire and
People speak with intensity and
Eyes cry rivers
Emotions overflow
Indian givers
Someone who gives and then takes away
Hearts of stone
Unfeeling or harsh hearts
Paper ships and
Delicate and fragile vessels and
Painted faces
Facades or masks people put on
The world's no place when
Life is tough because
You're on your own
You don't have any support around you
A heart needs a home
Everyone needs a safe space
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robin Zachary
My husband and I sang this song at our wedding 25 years ago. We were obsessed with Richard and Linda when we first got together and wanted to be just like them. We are still singing together after all these years.
Prabin Prabin
Beautiful story
Robin Zachary
@Prabin Prabin thank you!
elusiveinsert
Wonderful
Steve
I hope you're both good vocalists because that could have been an epic train wreck for your guests! ;)
Robin Zachary
@Steve thanks for the snarky reply! We are no Richard and Linda, but we're not bad either.
Victoria
I don't even have words for how deeply beautiful her singing is....like something from heaven ❤❤
Derek Biggerstaff
Linda's recorded performances from back then have stood the test of time better than her contemporaries. She sings like the song is more important than the performance, but at the same time she is making it technically spot on.
Chris Holmes
One of the most hauntingly beautiful songs of all time.
CityCity
I Agreed wholeheartedly