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.
Crawl Back Under My Stone
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You really did it this time, you did
Did you count your fingers after shaking my
Hand, God forbid?
Riff raff, crawing from the slums
Right there, in front of all your chums
I swear by the pricking of my thumbs
I'll crawl back (crawl back)under my stone
I'll crawl back (crawl back)under my stone
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
That you won't have to stand next to me
You won't have to introduce me
You won't have to think about, talk about, care about me.
I'll crawl back
I've got a nerve just showin my face don't you think?
Scruffy little likes ought to know their place, don't ya think?
Oh boy, sorry to intrude
Damn shame, plenty bloody rude
I should be horsewhipped and sued,
Then go qui-et-ly, my tail between my knees
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
That you won't have to stand next to me
You won't have to introduce me
You won't have to think about, talk about, care about me.
I'll crawl back
I want to be made of glass
Frozen in a sea that's made of glass
I just don't want to be, I just don't want to be free
You had me in a second, you had a (unintelligible) you did.
Did you guess my game, and my name like a number, you did.
Somehow I gave myself away
Some card, some word I didn't say
I missed one line in the play
And the trap shut tight,
And it did me all right
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
I'll crawl back (crawl back) under my stone
That you won't have to stand next to me
You won't have to introduce me
You won't have to think about, talk about, care about ...
You won't have to ask about, fuss about, discuss about ...
You won't have to mind about, swear about, forget about me.
I'll crawl back (crawl back)
I'll crawl back (crawl back)
I'll crawl back (crawl back)
I'll crawl back (crawl back)
I'll crawl back
Ohh, I'll crawl back
I'll crawl back
I'll crawl back
The lyrics to Richard Thompson's "Crawl Back Under My Stone" portray a sense of shame and regret for having allowed oneself to be vulnerable and exposed to hurt or rejection. The singer seems to have been taken advantage of by someone who saw them as beneath them, and now wishes to retreat and hide away from the world in order to avoid further humiliation. The line "First time you had me, you really did it this time, you did" suggests that this is not the first time the singer has experienced this sort of betrayal, and that they feel foolish for having let it happen again. The use of the phrase "crawl back under my stone" emphasizes the desire to be unseen and unnoticed, like a creature retreating into a hiding place.
The second verse describes the experience as being like a play in which the singer missed a crucial line and ended up trapped by their own vulnerability. The use of the phrase "scruffy little likes ought to know their place" suggests a sense of class or social conflict, with the singer feeling that they have been looked down upon and mistreated because of their perceived lower status. The repeated refrain of "That you won't have to stand next to me" emphasizes the desire to disappear and be forgotten, as though the singer wishes they had never been born.
Overall, "Crawl Back Under My Stone" is a powerful and poignant reflection on the pain of vulnerability and the desire to retreat from the world in order to avoid further hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
First time you had me
The first time we met and connected
You really did it this time, you did
You succeeded in wooing me this time around
Did you count your fingers after shaking my
Hand, God forbid?
Did you feel like I was beneath your standards?
Riff raff, crawing from the slums
I am like a beggar from the ghetto
Right there, in front of all your chums
I am an embarrassment in front of your friends
I swear by the pricking of my thumbs
I pledge that I will have my revenge
I'll make your day, and melt a-way
I will entertain you and then disappear
I'll crawl back (crawl back)under my stone
I will go back to where I came from
That you won't have to stand next to me
You will not have to be associated with me
You won't have to introduce me
I will not need to be introduced to anyone as your acquaintance
You won't have to think about, talk about, care about me.
You will not have to give me a second thought
I've got a nerve just showin my face don't you think?
I have daringly arrived in your presence
Scruffy little likes ought to know their place, don't ya think?
People like me should know their social status
Oh boy, sorry to intrude
I apologize for coming into your life
Damn shame, plenty bloody rude
It's a shame and very rude of me to be here
I should be horsewhipped and sued,
I deserve punishment for my audacity
Then go qui-et-ly, my tail between my knees
I will leave without causing any further trouble
I want to be made of glass
I wish to be invisible and untouchable
Frozen in a sea that's made of glass
I desire to be trapped in a world of anonymity
I just don't want to be, I just don't want to be free
I do not want to be liberated from my misery
You had me in a second, you had a (unintelligible) you did.
You saw right through me from the very beginning
Did you guess my game, and my name like a number, you did.
You identified my motives and my identity with ease
Somehow I gave myself away
I inadvertently revealed my true nature
Some card, some word I didn't say
Something unspoken that I may have hinted at
I missed one line in the play
I made an error in the game you were playing
And the trap shut tight,
And it did me all right
You executed your plan flawlessly and left me powerless
You won't have to ask about, fuss about, discuss about ...
You will never need to inquire or bother with me again
You won't have to mind about, swear about, forget about me.
You will not bother to care, curse, or disremember me
Contributed by Callie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@madeleinehague648
I LOVE THIS MAN and HIS MUSIC!!!!
@witchywoman4139
SUCH a good song! Haven't enjoyed listening to music like this since the '80's/90's...love it, thanks! <3
@marysagar
Thank you so much for the transcript of the lyrics. These lines,
"But you won't have to stand next to me
You won't have to introduce me
You won't have to think about, talk about, care about
You won't have to ask about, fuss about, discuss about
You won't have to mind about, swear about, forget about, me" came to mind as having the same rhythm in lines I found elsewhere: "You cannot help people if you attack them. You cannot help them if you are horrified by them, disappointed by them, frustrated by them, hostile towards them, angry with them or impatient with them.”[2]
@mando3b
Thank you for uploading this one! One of RT's very best--which means spectacular . . .
@Chuckles17
For my money, this is RT's best album.
@jazz_addict7079
FYI: there are more fully developed/more intense versions of many of these tunes on the Austin City Limits disc/DVD.
@IndigoJo
@Jazz_Addict I heard that a lot of fans thought the live versions from Semi-Detached Mock Tudor were better than the studio versions.
@kenroberts3340
The first time i heard Walking on a wire, i was hooked. I got to see Richard and Patti Smith at a little summerfest park in Chicago, and of course Mock Tudor was current and i knew all the songs. It was great.
@2012chiran
Love Him!!!
@marysagar
Yes, it is, and this cut, what he does so well.