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.
Crimescene
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lamp hangs by a thread
Scattered pages, spattered walls
Mayhem on the bed
Peace is gone and love is gone and
Darkness wins the day
A soul is torn away
A crumpled shirt a hank of hair
A shoe print made of blood
Phone ripped out, the shades all drawn
A life is hammered shut
And I should ball my fists and scream
Against the dying of the dream
But I can't aim my rage at fate
Where's the face to pin the hate?
But I can't aim my rage at fate
Where's the face to pin the hate?
Where's the face to pin the hate?
A ticket booked, a suitcase packed
A diary on the desk
Free will's just a walk on part
In this ugly humoresque
Peace is gone and love is gone and
Darkness wins the day
A soul is torn away
A soul is torn away
A soul is torn away
A soul is torn away
And I should ball my fists and scream
Against the dying of the dream
But I can't aim my rage at fate
Where's the face to pin the hate?
But I can't aim my rage at fate
Where's the face to pin the hate?
Here we stand around like victims
Waiting for the crime
Waiting for the butcher's knife
One cut at a time
You plan and he plans
You sleep while he steals
Your wheels can only spin
Inside of other wheels
Peace is gone and love is gone and
Darkness wins the day
A soul is torn away
A soul is torn away
A soul is torn away
A soul is torn away
The lyrics of Richard Thompson's song "Crimescene" describe the aftermath of a violent crime, possibly murder or assault. The broken glass, broken chair, and spattered walls paint a picture of chaos and destruction. The singer laments the loss of peace and love, the soul of the victim taken away by the violence. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and helplessness, as the singer struggles to find someone to blame for the tragedy. He cannot aim his rage at fate, as there is no single person to pin the hate on. The absence of a clear culprit leaves the singer feeling like a victim, waiting for the next violent crime to occur.
As the lyrics progress, the tone shifts to emphasize the themes of free will and the loss of control. The diary on the desk and the suitcase packed suggest someone made a choice to leave, but the singer argues that free will is just a walk-on part in a larger story. The violent crime is just one part of an "ugly humoresque," an intricate and twisted plot orchestrated by fate or a higher power. The final lines of the song suggest that we are all trapped in a larger system we cannot control, spinning our wheels inside of other wheels.
Overall, "Crimescene" is a powerful reflection on the aftermath of violence and the complexity of human agency. The lyrics suggest that while we are victims of a larger system, we still have some control over our lives - even if it is just the choice of how we respond to tragedy.
Line by Line Meaning
Broken glass, a broken chair
The crime scene is in disarray with broken glass and furniture strewn about.
Lamp hangs by a thread
The evidence of the struggle is apparent with a lamp barely hanging on.
Scattered pages, spattered walls
The perpetrator left behind a mess with papers everywhere and blood on the walls.
Mayhem on the bed
The bed was the site of the worst violence.
Peace is gone and love is gone and
The crime has robbed the victim of both peace and love.
Darkness wins the day
The forces of evil have triumphed over good.
A soul is torn away
The victim's life has been violently taken.
A crumpled shirt a hank of hair
Forensic evidence is scattered throughout the scene including clothing and hair.
A shoe print made of blood
The perpetrator left behind a bloody shoe print, leaving a trail of evidence.
Phone ripped out, the shades all drawn
The perpetrator made sure to cut off communication by tearing out the phone line and drawing the shades.
A life is hammered shut
The victim's life has come to an end in a violent and brutal way.
And I should ball my fists and scream
The artist feels the urge to react with anger and frustration.
Against the dying of the dream
It feels as though the hope and optimism for the future has been destroyed.
But I can't aim my rage at fate
The singer is struggling to find someone or something to blame for the tragedy.
Where's the face to pin the hate?
There is no specific person to blame, only a sense of anger and loss.
A ticket booked, a suitcase packed
The victim might have been planning to leave, with a plane ticket and suitcase ready.
A diary on the desk
The victim left behind a personal diary filled with their hopes, dreams and secrets.
Free will's just a walk on part
Even with free will, things can happen that are out of our control.
In this ugly humoresque
Life can be full of dark twists and turns that seem like a cruel joke.
Here we stand around like victims
Everyone involved feels powerless and victimized.
Waiting for the crime
The threat of further violence looms in the air.
Waiting for the butcher's knife
The sense of danger is heightened with the metaphor of a butcher's knife.
One cut at a time
The danger is slow and calculated, with the perpetrator taking their time to inflict harm.
You plan and he plans
Both the victim and the perpetrator had plans for their lives, but now everything has changed.
You sleep while he steals
The perpetrator can strike at any moment, even when the victim is at their most vulnerable.
Your wheels can only spin
The victim is stuck in a cycle of fear and pain with no clear way out.
Inside of other wheels
The victim feels trapped in a larger system of violence and oppression.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RICHARD THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Soehn
on Love in a Faithless Country
At a show at the Culch (The Vancouver East Cultural Centre) decades ago, Thompson said the song was inspired by two British serial killers, who seemed to be inspiring each other through the newspapers. Now you know why it sounds so spooky.
Mark Apelman
on Devonside
Not sure what this song means, but I love the feeling of it.