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.

Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Way down in New Orleans everythings fine
All them cats just drinkin' that wine
Drinkin' that mess is sure delight
When they get slop drunk they sing all night
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De
Pass that bottle to me!

Well I got a nickle you got a dime
Lets get together and by some wine
Wine over here Wine over there
Drinking that mess everywhere!
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De
Pass that bottle to me!
Yeah!
Piano Solo
Roy Boy!
Guitar Solo
Weeeeeeellll
Wine Wine Wine Elderberry
Wine Wine Wine Oh Sherry
Wine Wine Wine Blackberry
Wine Wine Wine Half and Half
Wine Wine Wine Oh Boy
Pass that bottle to me
Yeah!
Piano Solo
Well all the way down on Bourbon Street Willies been
Uncle Willie wasn't selling but a little gin
One cat order a bottle of wine
Tip that cat for a dollar and a dime
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De
Pass that bottle to me!
Wine Wine Wine Elderberry
Wine Wine Wine Oh Sherry
Wine Wine Wine Blackberry
Wine Wine Wine Half and Half

Wine Wine Wine Oh Boy
Pass that bottle to me!

Overall Meaning

In Richard Thompson's song "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee," the lyrics portray a lively scene in New Orleans where people are indulging in the joys of drinking wine. The opening line "Way down in New Orleans everything's fine" sets the tone for the song as we are transported to a place where people are carefree and having a good time. The repetitive refrain of "Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De Drinkin' Wine" emphasizes the pleasure and excitement of consuming wine, and the line "Drinkin' that mess is sure delight" expresses the bliss that comes with getting "slop drunk" and singing all night long.

The lyrics convey a sense of community and unity as people come together to share a bottle of wine, regardless of their financial status. The lines "Well I got a nickle you got a dime/Lets get together and buy some wine" suggest that drinking is a way of socializing and bringing people closer together. The mention of different kinds of wine, such as elderberry, sherry, and blackberry, adds to the celebratory atmosphere of the song.

Overall, "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" paints a vivid picture of a carefree and joyful moment in time where people come together to drink and sing, united in their pleasure and enjoyment.

Line by Line Meaning

Way down in New Orleans everythings fine
Life in New Orleans is going well and everyone is happy.

All them cats just drinkin' that wine
Everyone is drinking wine without a care in the world.

Drinkin' that mess is sure delight
People are enjoying themselves by drinking this wine.

When they get slop drunk they sing all night
Once they're really drunk, they sing all night long.

Pass that bottle to me!
Give me that bottle of wine.

Well I got a nickle you got a dime
I have a little money and you have more, so let's pool our resources.

Lets get together and by some wine
Let's buy some wine together.

Wine over here Wine over there
There's wine everywhere.

Drinking that mess everywhere!
People are drinking wine all over the place.

Yeah!
Agreement or excitement in response to the previous statement.

Piano Solo
A section in the song where only the piano plays a solo.

Roy Boy!
A call-out to someone named Roy Boy.

Guitar Solo
A section in the song where only the guitar plays a solo.

Wine Wine Wine Elderberry
The different types of wine that are being enjoyed.

Wine Wine Wine Oh Sherry
Another type of wine that is being enjoyed.

Wine Wine Wine Blackberry
Yet another type of wine that is being enjoyed.

Wine Wine Wine Half and Half
A mixed drink made from two different types of wine.

Wine Wine Wine Oh Boy
Excitement at the wine being enjoyed.

Well all the way down on Bourbon Street Willies been
On Bourbon Street, a man named Willie has been spotted.

Uncle Willie wasn't selling but a little gin
Willie wasn't selling much, just a little bit of gin.

One cat order a bottle of wine
One person ordered a bottle of wine.

Tip that cat for a dollar and a dime
They tipped the server extra for their good service.

Contributed by Lincoln B. 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.