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.
Her Love Was Meant For Me
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's my soul and destiny
Three times I turned the queen of hearts
But her love was meant for me
Cupid shoots just like a baby
Her Romeo won’t let her be
Shoot them darts in my direction
As a kid, I saw rainbows
But life, it turns you upside down
It shakes the money out of your Wranglers
Leave you heaving on the ground
Oh I've followed all the prophecies
From sea to shining sea
She came to me walking backwards
Her love was meant for me
Now she's mine, I plan to keep her
So put your eyes back in their sockets
Your holes of the upholstery
Put your hands back in their pockets
Oh she doesn’t look at you, brother
The way she looks at me
Like a razor through a scarecrow
Her love was meant for me
Don't need a ticket for the future
The apocalypse is free
Armageddon's in the mirror
Her love was meant for me (love was meant for me)
Her love was meant for me
In "Her Love Was Meant For Me," Richard Thompson sings about a gypsy woman who had a significant impact on his love life. He describes her as his soulmate, and though he had attempted to steer away from her, he eventually realizes that her love was intended for him. The singer speaks about the power of Cupid's arrow and how it struck him, drawing him towards her despite the obstacles in the way. He furthermore recalls his childhood memories of seeing rainbows and the challenges of adulthood, which have left him down and struggling.
Thompson mentions following all of the prophecies, yet his true love arrived walking backward, an allusion to the unexpected and irrational nature of love. The singer plans to keep his woman and urges others to keep their hands off. He emphasizes that she doesn't look at other men the way she looks at him, and he is aware that she was meant for him. The song concludes by establishing that the apocalypse is coming, but because he's found her, he doesn't require a ticket to the future nor need to worry about it.
Line by Line Meaning
Gypsy thing? twists my love life
My love life is unpredictable and full of twists, just like the mysterious and magical world of gypsies.
She's my soul and destiny
I believe that this woman is destined to be with me. She completes me and is the love of my life.
Three times I turned the queen of hearts
But her love was meant for me
I had relationships with other women in the past, but I realize now that they were never meant to be. This woman, who I turned down three times before, is the one I was meant to be with all along.
Cupid shoots just like a baby
Her Romeo won’t let her be
Shoot them darts in my direction
Her love was meant for me
Cupid's arrows may seem immature, but I am willing to be hit by them in the hopes of winning this woman's heart. Despite the presence of other men in her life, I know that she is meant to be with me.
As a kid, I saw rainbows
But life, it turns you upside down
It shakes the money out of your Wranglers
Leave you heaving on the ground
Life isn't always easy, and it can be full of hardships that shake us to our core. As a child, I saw rainbows and believed that anything was possible, but life has shown me that it isn't that simple.
Oh I've followed all the prophecies
From sea to shining sea
She came to me walking backwards
Her love was meant for me
I've searched high and low for signs and prophecies that would guide me to my true love. But in the end, it was this woman who came to me in an unexpected way, walking backwards, that made me realize that she was the one I had been searching for all along.
Now she's mine, I plan to keep her
So put your eyes back in their sockets
Your holes of the upholstery
Put your hands back in their pockets
Now that I have finally won this woman's heart, I am determined to keep her by my side. So all you other men can stop trying to steal her away - she's mine for good.
Oh she doesn’t look at you, brother
The way she looks at me
Like a razor through a scarecrow
Her love was meant for me
I can tell by the way she looks at me that this woman's love is real and true. It cuts through me like a sharp blade and leaves no doubt in my mind that her love was meant for me and no one else.
Don't need a ticket for the future
The apocalypse is free
Armageddon's in the mirror
Her love was meant for me (love was meant for me)
Her love was meant for me
I don't know what the future holds, and I don't need a ticket to find out. All I know is that this woman's love is worth everything, and even if the world were to end tomorrow, I would know that her love was always meant for me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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.