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.
For Shame of Doing Wrong
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lover lover I've been away too long
When I see lovers holding hands and sighing
I hang my head for shame of doing wrong
Bus wheels spinning, song birds singing break my heart
Take me back to old remembered days
Remind me of the times we spent together
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I'm sorry for the things I've said, the things I've done
I'm sorry for the restless thief I've been
Please don't make me pay for my deceiving heart
Just turn up your lamp and let me in
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
I wish I was a fool for you again
"For Shame of Doing Wrong" by Richard & Linda Thompson is a song that explores the feelings of longing, regret, and a desire to make amends with a past lover. The singer is expressing how much they miss their lover, and how they feel ashamed for the mistakes they made that led them astray. They are haunted by memories of the times they spent together and are lamenting the fact that they were unable to keep their relationship intact. The lyrics evoke a sense of melancholy and sadness, as the singer is forced to confront the consequences of their actions.
In the first stanza, the singer expresses how long it has been since they saw their lover, and that they feel like they have been away for too long. The second stanza speaks of the pain of nostalgia, as the singer remembers the times they spent together, but also acknowledges the fact that they are now distant and apart. In the final stanza, the singer apologizes for their mistakes and begs their lover to forgive them and take them back.
The song captures the essence of relationships that have gone awry, and how it is often difficult to express complex emotions of guilt and remorse to someone who has been hurt. The lyrics poetically explore the pain of missing someone, and the hope that love can be rekindled.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems like a lifetime since I saw you
It has been an incredibly long time since I last saw you, which feels like a lifetime.
Lover lover I've been away too long
My dear love, I have been away for far too long and I miss you deeply.
When I see lovers holding hands and sighing
As I observe couples displaying affection by holding hands and sighing, my heart is heavy with regret for my own wrongdoing.
I hang my head for shame of doing wrong
I am filled with shame and remorse for the mistakes I have made that have caused harm to those I care about.
Bus wheels spinning, song birds singing break my heart
The sound of bus wheels spinning juxtaposed with song birds singing serves to break my heart and remind me of the past.
Take me back to old remembered days
I yearn to revisit memories of days gone by and long for days of innocence and carefree times.
Remind me of the times we spent together
Please help me reminisce about the times we spent together, as they bring comfort to my heavy heart.
Times before we went our separate ways
I am reflecting on the good times we shared before we parted ways and are no longer together.
I'm sorry for the things I've said, the things I've done
I acknowledge and take responsibility for the mistakes I have made, the hurt I have caused, and how my actions have impacted those around me.
I'm sorry for the restless thief I've been
I am remorseful for my behavior of acting like a thief, taking things that were not mine and causing disruption and unease.
Please don't make me pay for my deceiving heart
I beg you not to hold me accountable or punish me for the mistakes I have made because of my deceiving heart and selfish actions.
Just turn up your lamp and let me in
All I ask is to be let in, to have my presence welcomed, and to feel love and acceptance despite my past mistakes.
I wish I was a fool for you again
I deeply desire to feel the pure and all-encompassing love once again, without the baggage of past mistakes and hurt.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind