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.

Cry Me A River
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Arthur Hamilton)

Now you say you're lonely
You cry the long night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

Now you say you're sorry
For being so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember, I remember, all that you said?
You told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me and

Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove that you do
Come on and cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

I cried a river over you
I cried a river...over you...

Overall Meaning

The song "Cry Me a River" by Arthur Hamilton has been covered by a number of artists but Richard Thompson's version captures the emotion of the lyrics perfectly. The song captures a moment of heartache and the pain of betrayal. The lyrics speak of a lover who has been hurt and now wants their partner to feel their pain by crying a river. The lover is told that they can cry all night long and then cry a river, as the singer has already done so for them.

The lyrics speak of the lover being sorry for being untrue, and the singer sarcastically tells them to cry a river over it. The lover had driven the singer out of their mind, with their callous actions causing great hurt. The singer remembers how the lover had told them that love was too plebeian and that they were through with them. Now that the lover has changed their tune and professes to love the singer, they are told to cry a river over it, as the singer has already cried a river for the lost love.

Overall, the lyrics in "Cry Me a River" are powerful and emotive, capturing the heartbreak and pain of a love lost. The song has been covered by a number of artists, but Richard Thompson's version stands out as one of the best. The chords for Thompson's version of the song are Bm, F#7, Bm, A7, G, F#7.

Line by Line Meaning

Now you say you're lonely
You claim that you are alone

You cry the long night through
You weep throughout the entire night

Well, you can cry me a river
You can weep in front of me all you want

Cry me a river
Continue weeping in front of me

I cried a river over you
I, too, wept intensely over you in the past

Now you say you're sorry
You express regret now

For being so untrue
For your dishonesty and infidelity

You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
You pushed me to the brink of insanity

While you never shed a tear
Despite everything, you never showed any remorse

Remember, I remember, all that you said?
I still recall all the hurtful things you told me

You told me love was too plebeian
You claimed that love was beneath you

Told me you were through with me and
Said you had ended our relationship

Now you say you love me
Now you declare your love for me

Well, just to prove that you do
To substantiate your claim

Come on and cry me a river
Show me how much you care by crying a lot

I cried a river over you
I was heartbroken when you left me

I cried a river...over you...
My pain and grief were immense when you were gone

Contributed by Evan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Ken Soehn

on Love in a Faithless Country

33w

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.