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.
We Sing Hallelujah
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a rusty cart
He sings his song as he rattles along
And then he falls apart
And we'll sing hallelujah
At the turning of the year
And we work all day in the old-fashioned way
A man is like a briar
He covers himself with thorns
He laughs like a clown when his fortune's down
And his clothes are ragged and torn
And we'll sing hallelujah
At the turning of the year
And we work all day in the old-fashioned way
Till the shining star appears
A man is like a three string fiddle
Hanging up on the wall
He plays when somebody scrapes on the bow
Or he can't play at all
And we'll sing hallelujah
At the turning of the year
And we work all day in the old-fashioned way
Till the shining star appears
A man is like his father
Wishes he never was born
He longs for the time when the clock will chime
And he's dead forevermore
And we'll sing hallelujah
At the turning of the year
And we work all day in the old-fashioned way
Till the shining star appears
And we'll sing hallelujah
At the turning of the year
And we work all day in the old-fashioned way
Till the shining star appears
In "We Sing Hallelujah," Richard and Linda Thompson contemplate the human condition through different metaphors. The lyrics suggest that a man is like a rusty wheel on a cart, a briar covered in thorns, and a three-string fiddle that can only play when scraped by a bow or not at all. The fourth verse is perhaps the bleakest, with the man wishing he was never born and longing for death. Despite these melancholic reflections, the chorus brings a glimmer of hope with the promise of hallelujah singing and the anticipation of a shining star.
The song's repetition of metaphors connects to the traditional folk practice of using allegories to frame ideas and emotions in storytelling. The imagery used in the song serves as a reminder that, like objects pickled with symbolic meanings, humans have a story embedded within them. The use of religious language, with "We Sing Hallelujah" and "shining star," adds a spiritual dimension to the song's message. The references to the "turning of the year" suggest the cyclical nature of life, where even in the face of decay and death, there is always the hope of renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
A man is like a rusty wheel
A man is flawed and imperfect, like a deteriorating wheel on a rusty cart.
On a rusty cart
The cart represents the journey of life, which may be difficult and bumpy due to the man's imperfections.
He sings his song as he rattles along
The man carries on despite the obstacles he faces, and he finds solace in music as he goes.
And then he falls apart
Despite his efforts, the man eventually crumbles under the weight of his flaws.
And we'll sing hallelujah
We will celebrate and find joy despite the difficult journey of life.
At the turning of the year
The new year represents a fresh start and a time to reflect on one's journey and growth.
And we work all day in the old-fashioned way
We work hard and diligently, persevering through challenges and striving to do our best.
Till the shining star appears
We look to a brighter future, a symbolized by a shining star, as we keep working towards our goals.
A man is like a briar
A man can be prickly, like a thorn-covered briar bush.
He covers himself with thorns
The man may hide behind a tough exterior as a method of self-protection.
He laughs like a clown when his fortune's down
The man puts on a brave face and tries to make light of tough situations, even when things are going poorly.
And his clothes are ragged and torn
The man's outward appearance may reflect his inner turmoil and struggles.
A man is like a three string fiddle
A man may have limitations and be unable to operate at full capacity, like a three string fiddle.
Hanging up on the wall
The man may be metaphorically 'hanging on the wall', unused and unfulfilled.
He plays when somebody scrapes on the bow
The man may be triggered into action, but only when others initiate or motivate him.
Or he can't play at all
The man may be incapable of functioning properly if not prompted by others.
A man is like his father
A man may struggle with the same issues and behaviors as his father.
Wishes he never was born
The man may feel discouraged and overwhelmed by the generational patterns he feels trapped in.
He longs for the time when the clock will chime
The man may be looking for a way out, a moment when he can escape the cycle he feels stuck in.
And he's dead forevermore
The man may feel that there is no end to his struggles, and that his condition is permanent and unfixable.
Contributed by Anthony L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.