From 1973 to 1982, British folk legend Richard Thompson (having quit Fairpo… Read Full Bio ↴From 1973 to 1982, British folk legend Richard Thompson (having quit Fairport Convention in 1971) recorded as a duo with his wife Linda Thompson. This period saw a great amount of critical praise for Richard's songwriting and Linda's voice, though not much popular success. Following their divorce, both pursued solo careers.

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.

House Of Cards
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh the rain is falling (blow blow down)
And the wild wind roars (blow blow down)
It'll shake your windows (blow blow down)
And rattle your doors (blow blow down)
Ah blow down this house of cards
Blow down this house of cards

They're washing the streets (blow blow down)

With the blood of your kind (blow blow down)
Ah look over your shoulder (blow blow down)
They are right behind (blow blow down)
Oh blow down this house of cards
Blow down this house of cards

The birds are wheeling (blow blow down)
Up above your head (blow blow down)
Ah your days are numbered (blow blow down)
You're as good as dead (blow blow down)
Ah blow down this house of cards
Blow down this house of cards

This very fine house (blow blow down)
Of great renown (blow blow down)
It's cracked and shaking (blow blow down)
And a-tumbling down (blow blow down)
Ah blow down this house of cards
Blow down this house of cards

Blow down this house of cards
Oh blow down this house of cards

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Richard & Linda Thompson's House Of Cards are a powerful commentary on the fragility of what seems to be strong and stable. The rain, wind, and birds serve as metaphors for the forces of nature that can destroy anything built on shaky foundations; in this case, the "house of cards." The house in question is likely a symbol of societal structures or relationships that are built on lies, deceit, and corruption. The line "They're washing the streets with the blood of your kind" highlights the violent and oppressive nature of the powerful forces that are behind the house of cards. The song warns that the house is not only unstable, but also corrupt, and that its collapse is inevitable.

The repeated refrain of "blow blow down this house of cards" emphasizes the urgent need for change and calls on those who are oppressed to take action before it's too late. The song seems to suggest that the only way to bring down the house of cards is through a collective effort. The final verse, "This very fine house of great renown, It's cracked and shaking and a-tumbling down," is a powerful indictment of those who built the house and profited from the status quo, only to see it fall apart.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh the rain is falling (blow blow down)
The rain and strong wind is a metaphor for a feeling of chaos and disorder.

And the wild wind roars (blow blow down)
The wild wind represents a force beyond their control, which is causing the chaos.

It'll shake your windows (blow blow down)
The chaos is so intense that it rattles everything in their life.

And rattle your doors (blow blow down)
The chaos is about to knock them off their feet or break them into pieces.

Ah blow down this house of cards Blow down this house of cards
They want the chaos to take everything away; to blow down their whole life and start fresh.

They're washing the streets (blow blow down)
They're using their influence to remove anything that they don't approve of from the streets.

With the blood of your kind (blow blow down)
They are willing to use violence to protect what they consider their own.

Ah look over your shoulder (blow blow down)
They are warning you to be careful, as they are always watching.

They are right behind (blow blow down)
They are always there, even if you can't see them.

The birds are wheeling (blow blow down)
The birds overhead represent the cyclical nature of life, and how everything eventually comes full circle.

Up above your head (blow blow down)
The cyclical nature is beyond their power to control.

Ah your days are numbered (blow blow down)
The cyclical nature means that their time is limited, and their end is near.

You're as good as dead (blow blow down)
They are emphasizing the fact that the end is inevitable.

This very fine house (blow blow down)
This line is referring to their life, which they have built up carefully over time.

Of great renown (blow blow down)
Their life has been built up, and now is widely known and respected.

It's cracked and shaking (blow blow down)
Their carefully-built life is showing signs of weakness, and is in danger of collapsing.

And a-tumbling down (blow blow down)
Their life is collapsing before their very eyes.

Ah blow down this house of cards Blow down this house of cards Blow down this house of cards Oh blow down this house of cards
They are desperate for the chaos to wipe out everything, including their entire life, so that they can start fresh.

Contributed by Elijah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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