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.
Eastern Rain
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We watch it come
To hang like beaded curtains till the morning sun
Water dripping from our clothes
You, with raindrops on your nose
Ask me sadly, "Please don't go away, love"
"Till the rain is done," I say, "I'll stay now"
Rain outside but inside we don't mind at all
Slowly climb and fall
Kisses fade and leave no trace
Whispers vanish into space
None will send me on a chase to nowhere
What matters if I were the first to go there?
Morning comes up from the east
We watch it come
And far away now rolls the angry rain god's drum
You, with daybreak in your eyes
Afraid to speak for telling lies
I watch you search for some reply to lend me
But when the rain is done we'll stop pretending
Richard Thompson's "Eastern Rain" is a melancholic and introspective song about the passage of time and the transience of human relationships. The lyrics are built around the metaphor of rain, which stands for both the natural element that falls from the sky and the emotional turmoil that permeates the lovers' hearts. The rain is presented as an externalisation of the characters' internal states, a reflection of their doubts, fears, and hopes. The first verse sets the scene by describing the arrival of a storm that seems to visually and sonically isolate the lovers from the rest of the world. They watch the rain fall, fascinated by its beauty and its power, and take shelter in a warm and cosy place where they can share their thoughts and feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Rain comes from the east one night
One night, it starts raining heavily from the east
We watch it come
We observe the rain as it starts pouring
To hang like beaded curtains till the morning sun
The rain looks like curtains of beads and will last until morning
Water dripping from our clothes
Our clothes are wet due to rain and water droplets are dripping from them
You, with raindrops on your nose
You have raindrops on the end of your nose
Ask me sadly, "Please don't go away, love"
You request me despondently, to not leave you alone
"Till the rain is done," I say, "I'll stay now"
I respond by saying that I'll stay until the rain stops
Rain outside but inside we don't mind at all
Although it's raining outside, we don't mind at all being indoors
Shadows by the fire
The fire's flames are casting shadows
Slowly climb and fall
The shadows rise and fall gradually
Kisses fade and leave no trace
The kisses we shared don't leave any physical impression on us
Whispers vanish into space
Our soft spoken words disappear into space
None will send me on a chase to nowhere
No one will compel me to go on a futile journey
What matters if I were the first to go there?
What does it matter if I'm the first one to go there?
Morning comes up from the east
The next morning, the sun rises from the east
We watch it come
We observe the sunrise as it happens
And far away now rolls the angry rain god's drum
The sound of rain is becoming faint as the rain is ending
You, with daybreak in your eyes
Your eyes glow with the light of the rising sun
Afraid to speak for telling lies
You're afraid to speak as you may end up telling a lie
I watch you search for some reply to lend me
I watch you seek for an appropriate response to assist me
But when the rain is done we'll stop pretending
But once the rain is over, we'll stop pretending
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.