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.
Borrowed Time
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're taking heads for bounty
Wake up Corinne, they come to ride us down
Sweetness we have tasted
The time to move is wasted
They're riding like a hurricane through this town
We've been too many nights sleeping in a feather bed
You got to stand and fight for what you believe
You got to face death with your heart on your sleeve
Life is a card-game, you've soon got to leave
Living on borrowed,
Living on borrowed,
Living on borrowed time
If you say that you want your freedom
They'll hear you in every kingdom
They'll travel ten thousand miles just to shoot you down
Well the judge he was deluded
And the sheriff he soon colluded
And they swore they'd hang me six feet off the ground
They'll hunt you down 'cause you dare to tell the truth
A man ain't safe these days under his own roof
But you can't live your life under no man's thumb
They'll all pay double for what they've done
Our day's coming but their day's come
Living on borrowed,
Living on borrowed,
Living on borrowed time
You can't live your life under no man's thumb
They'll all pay double for what they've done
Our day's coming but their day's come
Living on borrowed,
Living on borrowed,
Living on borrowed time
The lyrics to Richard & Linda Thompson's song Borrowed Time describe a sense of urgency and danger as the singer and Corinne must flee from riders who are hunting them down for a bounty. The imagery of the riders is reminiscent of a storm or hurricane, adding to the feeling of chaos and impending doom. The situation is not unique; the singer acknowledges that they have been living on borrowed time for some time, but have languished too long in safety and comfort.
The song addresses themes of freedom, truthfulness, and taking a stand for what one believes in, regardless of the cost. The call to "face death with your heart on your sleeve" and not to live "under no man's thumb" is a call to bravery in the face of a hostile world that seeks to silence those who stand up for justice. The repeated refrain of "Living on borrowed time" is a reminder that our time on this earth is limited, and each moment is precious.
Overall, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of a dangerous world where one must always be on guard and ready to fight for what is right. The song is a call to action, urging listeners to not waste their precious time and to stand up for the values they believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
There's riders in this county
There are dangerous bounty hunters in the county
They're taking heads for bounty
The bounty hunters are killing people for cash rewards
Wake up Corinne, they come to ride us down
We need to wake up and face the danger, they will attack and kill us
Sweetness we have tasted
Our peaceful life has been disrupted by the danger from the bounty hunters
The time to move is wasted
We wasted time and now it's too late to escape the threat
They're riding like a hurricane through this town
The bounty hunters are moving quickly and relentlessly through the town like a violent storm
We've been too many nights sleeping in a feather bed
We've lived a comfortable and sheltered life, unaffected by danger
You can't close both your eyes with a price on your head
With your life in danger, you can't afford to let your guard down
You got to stand and fight for what you believe
In the face of danger, you must be brave and fight for what is right
You got to face death with your heart on your sleeve
When confronting death, you must be bold and willing to show your emotions
Life is a card-game, you've soon got to leave
Life is unpredictable and fleeting, we must accept that we will eventually leave this world
If you say that you want your freedom
If you assert your desire for freedom and independence
They'll hear you in every kingdom
Your words and actions will spread throughout the world and be noticed by those in power
They'll travel ten thousand miles just to shoot you down
Those who feel threatened by your desire for freedom will go to great lengths to stop you, even using deadly force
Well the judge he was deluded
The judge was misguided, possibly corrupt or biased
And the sheriff he soon colluded
The sheriff conspired with others to do something illegal or unethical
And they swore they'd hang me six feet off the ground
They threatened to kill the artist by hanging them
They'll hunt you down 'cause you dare to tell the truth
Those in power will attempt to suppress and punish those who speak out against them
A man ain't safe these days under his own roof
Even in one's own home, a person is not necessarily safe from harm or danger
But you can't live your life under no man's thumb
You can't let others dictate how you live your life or limit your freedom
They'll all pay double for what they've done
Those who have acted unjustly will be punished twice as severely in the end
Our day's coming but their day's come
The day will come when justice is served and those who have done wrong will be held accountable
Living on borrowed time
We are living dangerously and our time is limited
Living on borrowed,
We are living precariously
Living on borrowed,
We are living unsustainably
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonathanh8187
One of my favorite Richard and Linda rockers. Phenomenal guitarist and one of the great songwriters of the past 50 years.
@thelastnic
wow, have some of their stuff but didnt think about looking for it on the tube, thanks for posting this
@IanRoure
Simon Nicol on guitar!
@AlFrisby
"Too many night's sleeping in a feather bed can't close your eyes with a price on your head"
@CliffHendroval
Looks like Pete Zorn on bass and Dave Mattacks on drums...any other suggestions for the back-up band?
@ddwb1
The pinkie and ring finger on Richard Thompson’s right hand.