Richard Thompson OBE (born 3 April 1949, Notting Hill, London) is a British… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Thompson OBE (born 3 April 1949, Notting Hill, London) is a British singer/songwriter and guitarist. Highly regarded for his guitar techniques, Thompson was awarded the Orville H. Gibson award for best acoustic guitar player in 1991. Similarly, his songwriting has earned him an Ivor Novello Award and, in 2006, a lifetime achievement award from BBC Radio. Thompson made his debut as a recording artist as a member of Fairport Convention in September 1967. He left the group in 1971 and began recording with his wife as Richard & Linda Thompson, before their marriage dissolved in 1983. Since then, Thompson has maintained a critically-acclaimed solo career.

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.

Broken Doll
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You called for me so here I am
Not a boy and not a man
Man enough to know the odds are long
They dress you up and keep you clean
Like courtiers around a queen
Show you good from bad, right from wrong

All the tears in the world

All the tears in the world
Won’t mend a Broken Doll

The little things in life escape her
Dolls are made of rags and paper
China cracks and chips so easily
Doesn’t have the will, the strength
To hold the world out at arm’s length
Skin’s too thin, eyes too wide to see

All the tears in the world
All the tears in the world
Won’t mend a Broken Doll

Wish I could give love to you
And life to you and hope to you
As you look through me to something else
In your face I think I see
Twisted-up infinity
Angel soul imprisoned in a shell

All the tears in the world

All the tears in the world
Won’t mend a Broken Doll

Overall Meaning

In this song, Richard Thompson sings about a broken doll, a metaphor for someone who is helpless and fragile, and the singer’s empathy for her. The opening lines of the song, “You called for me so here I am, not a boy and not a man, man enough to know the odds are long,” suggests that the singer is aware of the difficulties of his task, but he is willing to help the broken doll. The metaphor continues as Thompson sings, “They dress you up and keep you clean, like courtiers around a queen, show you good from bad, right from wrong.” The broken doll is being protected and kept safe, but at the same time, it is unable to experience the world and learn from its mistakes.

Thompson describes the helplessness of the broken doll, “The little things in life escape her, dolls are made of rags and paper, china cracks and chips so easily, doesn’t have the will, the strength, to hold the world out at arm’s length, skin’s too thin, eyes too wide to see.” The doll, much like a person who lacks resilience, is fragile and unable to handle the challenges of life. Despite the singer’s willingness to help, he acknowledges that “All the tears in the world won’t mend a broken doll.” The song ends with a wishful sentiment of wanting to give love, life, and hope to the broken doll, but the final lines suggest that it is impossible to repair a broken soul or an “angel soul imprisoned in a shell.”

Line by Line Meaning

You called for me so here I am
I came to you because you asked me to

Not a boy and not a man
I am somewhere in between, still figuring things out

Man enough to know the odds are long
I understand that things may not work out in our favor

They dress you up and keep you clean
People take care of you, but only superficially

Like courtiers around a queen
They treat you like royalty, but don't truly care about your well-being

Show you good from bad, right from wrong
They teach you what's morally right and wrong

All the tears in the world
No matter how much someone cries

Won’t mend a Broken Doll
It won't fix someone who is damaged beyond repair

The little things in life escape her
She doesn't understand or appreciate the small joys of life

Dolls are made of rags and paper
Dolls are fragile and often disposable

China cracks and chips so easily
That which is delicate and refined can be easily broken

Doesn’t have the will, the strength
She lacks the determination and resilience

To hold the world out at arm’s length
To keep the world at a distance and protect herself

Skin’s too thin, eyes too wide to see
She is too vulnerable and naive to fully comprehend the world around her

Wish I could give love to you
I want to show you love and care

And life to you and hope to you
I want to give you purpose and optimism

As you look through me to something else
You don't see me or my efforts to help, but focus on something else

In your face I think I see
From observing your expressions

Twisted-up infinity
I see endless pain and trauma within you

Angel soul imprisoned in a shell
You have a pure and beautiful heart, but you're trapped in a damaged body/mind

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON, CHUCK BERRY, STANLEY J LEWIS, DALE HAWKINS, ELEANOR BROADWATER, JEAN REINHARDT, JUAN TIZOL, DUKE ELLINGTON, HANK MARVIN, B.A. WELCH, J HARRIS

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