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.
When I Get To The Border
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can leave them all behind
They can never cross that line
When I get to the border
Sawbones standing at the door
Waiting 'till I hit the floor
He won't find me anymore
When I get to the border
Closing in on me
I'm packing up and I'm running away
To where nobody picks on me
If you see a box of pine
With a name that looks like mine.
Just say I drowned in a barrel of wine.
When I got to the border
When I got to the border
A one way ticket's in my hand
Heading for the chosen land
My troubles will all turn to sand
When I get to the border
Salty girl with yellow hair
Waiting in that rocking chair
And if I'm weary I won't care
When I get to the border
Monday morning, Monday morning
Closing in on me
I'm packing up and I'm running away
To where nobody picks on me
The dusty road will smell so sweet
Paved with gold beneath my feet
And I'll be dancing down the street
When I get to the border
When I get to the border
Richard Thompson's "When I Get to the Border" is a song that describes a journey to escape adversity and challenges. The singer is tired of his current situation, feeling frustrated by the "dirty people" who "take what's mine." He is confident that he can leave them behind and make a fresh start, symbolized by "the border." To him, this metaphorical boundary seems like a magical place where his troubles will disappear: "My troubles will all turn to sand / When I get to the border."
The singer emphasizes his determination to reach the border, even if it means faking his own death. He tells the listener that if they come across a box of pine with his name on it, to say he "drowned in a barrel of wine." For him, leaving his troubles behind is worth any risk or cost. He sings about his excitement, imagining a bright future that awaits him: "The dusty road will smell so sweet / Paved with gold beneath my feet / And I'll be dancing down the street / When I get to the border."
The song's imagery, from the line "Salty girl with yellow hair / Waiting in that rocking chair" to its romanticized portrayal of immigration, conveys the singer's sense of longing for something beyond his current life. Ultimately, the song is a testament to the human aspiration for escape and transcendence.
Line by Line Meaning
Dirty people take what's mine
People with bad intentions steal from me
I can leave them all behind
I can escape from those people and the situation
They can never cross that line
There's a physical or metaphorical boundary that those people can't cross
When I get to the border
Once I reach the border and cross it
Sawbones standing at the door
There's someone intimidating or threatening waiting for me
Waiting 'till I hit the floor
Waiting for me to give up or fall down
He won't find me anymore
I'm going to escape and not be caught by that person
Monday morning, Monday morning
The start of a new week, a time of stress or pressure
Closing in on me
Feeling overwhelmed and trapped by responsibilities or problems
I'm packing up and I'm running away
I'm leaving my current situation and running from my problems
To where nobody picks on me
I want to go to a place where I won't be bullied or harassed
If you see a box of pine
If someone finds my dead body
With a name that looks like mine.
With identification showing my name
Just say I drowned in a barrel of wine.
Lie about the cause of death to avoid repercussions or judgement
A one way ticket's in my hand
I bought a ticket to a place I won't return from
Heading for the chosen land
Going somewhere I hope will be better or more favorable
My troubles will all turn to sand
My problems will disappear
Salty girl with yellow hair
An attractive woman who may or may not be trustworthy
Waiting in that rocking chair
She's waiting for me to arrive and is comforting or calming
And if I'm weary I won't care
Even if I'm exhausted or unsafe, I won't worry because I'm close to my destination
The dusty road will smell so sweet
Even the difficult or unpleasant journey will be enjoyable and worthwhile
Paved with gold beneath my feet
The place I'm going is full of opportunity and wealth
And I'll be dancing down the street
I'll be in a state of happiness and freedom
When I get to the border
When I finally arrive at the place where my problems will be solved
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard John (Gb1) Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joecrow1481
Means so much-my late wife's favourite song-played at her funeral! Salty girl with yellow hair! xx
@williamdnetherton3722
What a great song for a funeral. May she rest in peace.
@joecrow1481
Thank you Sir!
@JStarStar00
Joe Crow And you'll always remember her with a smile.
@jessicahainesmusic
xxx
@DarrenBonJovi
what a fantastic tribute to your late wife :)
@justinhall2703
That instrumental at the end!!! Like nothing else. I feel rich just hearing it. Feel a little bad for those who’ve never heard it. Worse for those who wouldn’t appreciate it.
@paulburgess8909
It's really one of the greatest songs ever recorded, and it's almost tragic that it's been heard by so few people
@iantaylor220
Well said guys.
@nickwells5567
Couldn't agree more.