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.

Don
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

That gorilla you're dancing with
May not have too long to live
He's putting his hands in the wrong places
It's time to rearrange his face
He's gonna dance with me instead
And I'm gonna tap dance on his head

Don't tempt me, don't tempt me, don't tempt me

I'm half way out of my seat

He's got the looks, he's got the lolly
Driving me clean off my trolley
Doing the jitterbug, doing the jive
Doing the shimmy, snakes alive
That's not a dance, that's S E X
Ban that couple, certificate X

Don't tempt me, don't tempt me, don't tempt me
I'm half way out of my seat

Oh, I'm a patient man, but it's out of hand
If there's one thing that I can't stand

Get your mittens off my gal
Or you'll end up as mincemeat, pal
I've got friends, mean sons
They've got knives, chains, guns
Gas grenades, knuckle-dusters
Lazy Susans, blockbusters

Don't tempt me, don't tempt me, don't tempt me
I'm half way out of my seat, oh

I'm sitting here calm as I can
While you polish the floor with another man
I'm not mad, I'm a cuddly toy
Just keep me away from a laughing boy
You say he's a relative, some hope
If he's your uncle, I'm the Pope

Don't tempt me, don't tempt me, don't tempt me
I'm half way out of my seat, oh

Overall Meaning

The song “Don” by Richard Thompson tells a story of jealousy, possessiveness, and violence over a love affair. The singer, who is in a relationship with a woman, is threatened by a man who tries to win her over by dancing with her. The singer issues a warning to the man by saying that the gorilla he is dancing with “may not have too long to live.” The singer claims that the man is “putting his hands in the wrong places” and that it is time to “rearrange his face.” The singer then suggests that the man should dance with him instead and that he will “tap dance on his head.”

The singer's jealousy and possessiveness escalate as the song progresses. He believes that the man is trying to seduce his girlfriend through the dance and describes their dance moves as sexual. The singer sees the man as a threat and demands that he keep his hands off his girlfriend. He warns the man of his friends who are violent and well-equipped to deal with the situation. The song ends with the singer trying to keep his cool and assuring himself that he is not angry, but he is just a “cuddly toy” who needs to be kept away from a laughing boy.

Line by Line Meaning

That gorilla you're dancing with May not have too long to live He's putting his hands in the wrong places It's time to rearrange his face He's gonna dance with me instead And I'm gonna tap dance on his head
The person you are dancing with is inappropriate and aggressive. I will fight him instead and make him pay for his actions.

Don't tempt me, don't tempt me, don't tempt me I'm half way out of my seat
Stop pushing me or I will take action against you. I am getting very close to my breaking point.

He's got the looks, he's got the lolly Driving me clean off my trolley Doing the jitterbug, doing the jive Doing the shimmy, snakes alive That's not a dance, that's S E X Ban that couple, certificate X
The way he is dancing with you is not appropriate for public display. It looks like sex instead of dancing and needs to be banned from public view.

Oh, I'm a patient man, but it's out of hand If there's one thing that I can't stand
I am normally very patient, but this situation is intolerable. There is one thing that I cannot tolerate happening.

Get your mittens off my gal Or you'll end up as mincemeat, pal I've got friends, mean sons They've got knives, chains, guns Gas grenades, knuckle-dusters Lazy Susans, blockbusters
Remove your hands from my girlfriend or face the consequences. I have friends who are dangerous and carry weapons.

I'm sitting here calm as I can While you polish the floor with another man I'm not mad, I'm a cuddly toy Just keep me away from a laughing boy You say he's a relative, some hope If he's your uncle, I'm the Pope
I am trying to remain calm but it is difficult when you are dancing with someone else. I am not angry, just vulnerable. Please keep me away from someone who is laughing at me. I do not believe that the person you are with is actually your relative.

Don't tempt me, don't tempt me, don't tempt me I'm half way out of my seat, oh
Please stop testing my patience. I am very close to standing up and taking action against you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOSH THOMPSON, KARLEEN WATT, LISA TORRES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

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.