He continues to write and record new material and performs live frequently throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.
Thompson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to music. On 5 July 2011, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa was conferred on Thompson by the University of Aberdeen, in a ceremony at the University's Elphinstone Hall.
1985
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woohoo
Woohoo
Debbie just hit the wall
She never had it all
One Prozac a day
Her dreams went out the door
When she turned twenty four
Only been with one man
What happen to her plan?
She was gonna be an actress
She was gonna be a star
She was gonna shake her ass
On the hood of white snake's car
Her yellow SUV is now the enemy
Looks at her average life
And nothing has been alright
Springstein, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
But she still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985
Woohoo
(1985)
Woohoo
She's seen all the classics
She knows every line
Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink
Even Saint Elmo's Fire
She rocked out to wham
Not a big Limp Biscuit fan
Thought she'd get a hand
On a member of Duran Duran
Where's the mini-skirt made of snake skin
And who's the other guy singing in Van Halen
When did reality become T.V.
What ever happen to sitcoms, game shows
(on the radio there was)
Springstein, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
But she still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985
Woohoo
She hates time make it stop
When did Motley Crew become classic rock?
And when did Ozzy become an actor?
Please make this stop
Stop!
And bring back
Springstein, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
But she still preoccupied
With 1985
Springstein, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
But she still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985
Richard Thompson's song, "1985," is a reflection of nostalgia and the feeling of being stuck in time. The lyrics are a commentary on the disillusionment of youth and the longing for the past. The song tells the story of Debbie, who at the age of 24, has abandoned her dreams of becoming an actress and settling for a mundane life. She listens to music from the 1980s, a time when she had hope and ambition. The reference to classic films like "Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink," and "Saint Elmo's Fire" highlights Debbie's infatuation with the culture of the 80s.
The song reflects on how time has passed, and a once-vibrant culture has become a thing of the past. The reference to musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, U2, and Blondie echoes the nostalgia for the music of the 80s. The line "Her yellow SUV is now the enemy" is a metaphor for how Debbie sees her life as mundane and unexciting despite possessing materialistic things.
The song highlights the feeling of being trapped, longing for the past, and feeling disillusioned with the present. The song provides an honest look at how society perceives success and how it can be unfulfilling. The song is a reminder to never give up on one's dreams and to remember the passion and ambition one had in their younger years.
Line by Line Meaning
Debbie just hit the wall
Debbie has reached a low point in her life
She never had it all
Debbie never achieved her desired level of success
One Prozac a day
Debbie is on medication for her mental health
Husbands a CPA
Debbie's husband is an accountant
Her dreams went out the door
Debbie has given up on her aspirations
When she turned twenty four
Debbie's dreams disappeared when she was young
Only been with one man
Debbie has had limited romantic experience
What happen to her plan?
Debbie wonders why her life hasn't gone as she had hoped
She was gonna be an actress
Debbie wanted to pursue a career in acting
She was gonna be a star
Debbie dreamed of achieving fame and recognition
She was gonna shake her ass
Debbie wanted to perform in a provocative manner
On the hood of white snake's car
Debbie pictured herself as a music video vixen
Her yellow SUV is now the enemy
Debbie dislikes her average, suburban lifestyle
Looks at her average life
Debbie reflects on how mundane her existence has become
And nothing has been alright
Debbie's life has been unsatisfying
Springstein, Madonna
Reference to popular musicians from the past
Way before Nirvana
Referring to a time before grunge music became popular
There was U2 and Blondie
More popular musicians from the past
And music still on MTV
MTV used to play music videos
Her two kids in high school
Debbie has teenage children
They tell her that she's uncool
Debbie's children don't think she's trendy
But she still preoccupied
Debbie is still focused on
With 19, 19, 1985
The year Debbie is fixated on and nostalgic for
She's seen all the classics
Debbie has watched many classic movies
She knows every line
Debbie is very familiar with these movies
Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink
Popular movies from the 80s
Even Saint Elmo's Fire
Another popular movie from the 80s
She rocked out to wham
Debbie enjoyed listening to the band Wham
Not a big Limp Biscuit fan
Debbie doesn't like the band Limp Biscuit
Thought she'd get a hand
Debbie had hoped to meet a famous musician
On a member of Duran Duran
Debbie specifically had an interest in Duran Duran
Where's the mini-skirt made of snake skin
Debbie reminisces about the fashion of the past
And who's the other guy singing in Van Halen
Debbie is misremembering or confused about a band
When did reality become T.V.
Debbie is disillusioned with the world around her
What ever happen to sitcoms, game shows
Debbie misses certain types of television programs
(on the radio there was)
Reference to music from the past
She hates time make it stop
Debbie wishes she could stop time and live in the past
When did Motley Crew become classic rock?
Debbie is surprised by how old some of the music she likes has become
And when did Ozzy become an actor?
She's surprised that a rock star she knew from the past became an actor
Please make this stop
Debbie wants to stop time and live in the past
Stop!
Emphasizing her desire for time to stand still
And bring back
Debbie wants to bring back the past
Her two kids in high school
Reiterating that Debbie has teenage children
They tell her that she's uncool
Her children are a source of disappointment for her
But she still preoccupied
Despite this, Debbie can't help but think about the past
With 1985
The year she is so nostalgic for
Springstein, Madonna
Referencing popular musicians of the past
Way before Nirvana
This past time was before a certain period of popular music
There was U2 and Blondie
More references to past musical icons
And music still on MTV
MTV used to be a channel that played music videos
Her two kids in high school
Reiterating that Debbie has teenage children
They tell her that she's uncool
Her children don't think she's cool
But she still preoccupied
Despite this, Debbie can't help but think about the past
With 19, 19, 1985
The year she is so nostalgic for
Contributed by Isaiah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sister Bluebird
I didn't know I needed to hear Richard sing "She was gonna shake her ass on the hood of Whitesnake's car" until now.
Unt Rusted
This is a really amazing cover. It's not imitating the Bowling For Soup and SR-71 versions but actually making the song their own with a very original performance. I love it! :)
PWGamingOfficial
The funny thing is BFS are the sort of band who can do a cover of a song and make it sound fantastic, and Richard has done just that with one of there's. Love it.
Bruce velocity
for those that wonder what to think of this, focus on the whole band. this is as tight as you get.
Mitch
I've been looking for this for ages, thanks for putting it up!
papajohnloki
Damn-this is better than the version on the official "1000 Years".
denmarst
Richard's a lucky guy playing with his neighbor Judith Owen and Debra Dobkin on drums.
andrea
Even though the BFS version wasn't the original this just made my day better
Jeremy Baker
This version is strangely haunting
Roastism
That was weird. I'm not sure if I hate it or love it.