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.
How Does Your Garden Grow
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taking your time with me
Faithful as I faltered
Steady as I stumbled
A lifeline tossed in a boiling sea
Whose dream was that -
To parcel up my soul and pass the hat?
You lack that tender touch
That brings them back for more
Drove your old man out the door
When you tried it on before
You and your big ideas
And now that the scars don't show
How Does Your Garden Grow?
The lyrics to Richard Thompson's song "How Does Your Garden Grow" reflect a relationship where one person has big ideas and ambitions, while the other struggles to keep up. The opening lines are directed towards the individual with these big ideas, as they are described as taking their time with the other person and providing them with support when they falter and stumble like a lifeline tossed in a boiling sea. However, the following lines indicate a certain discontent with this dynamic, as the other person questions whose dream it was to parcel up their soul and pass the hat. They imply that this was not a style that suited the other person, who lacked a tender touch to keep them coming back for more, instead potentially driving their old man out the door when they tried it on before.
In the final stanza of the song, the other person reflects on the aftermath of this relationship and asks how the individual's garden grows. The metaphor of a garden suggests that the individual may have achieved their big ideas, but at what cost? Perhaps they are left with physical or emotional scars that still haven't healed, or perhaps their success came at the expense of others.
Overall, the lyrics to "How Does Your Garden Grow" offer a complex portrait of a relationship defined by power differentials and ambition. While the individual with the big ideas may have provided support to their partner, it seems their ambitions and the methods they used to achieve them caused harm along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
You and your big ideas
Addressing the subject, who has big ideas
Taking your time with me
Slowing down to help me
Faithful as I faltered
Staying supportive despite my failures
Steady as I stumbled
Continuing to show constancy, even when I struggle
A lifeline tossed in a boiling sea
A metaphor for the support he received, which was crucial in keeping him from drowning in life's troubles
Whose dream was that -
Questioning the origin of the subject's idea
To parcel up my soul and pass the hat?
To monetize something deeply personal
That's not a style that suits you much
That strategy isn't compatible with your character
You lack that tender touch
Being tactless in your approach
That brings them back for more
Something that usually encourages people to return
Drove your old man out the door
Ruined previously good relationships
When you tried it on before
In the past, when you attempted your idea
And now that the scars don't show
Because the wounds have healed
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Asking if their idea flourished or failed, sarcastically paralleling it with one's garden growing and possibly implying skepticism about its success
Contributed by Daniel S. 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.