I've Got No Right To Have It All
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.

I've Got No Right To Have It All
Richard Thompson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wish you well
And darling keep in touch
And if he loves you
I hope he loves you as much
It's just my fantasy
You leaving him for me
I've Got No Right To Have It All
Life's little gifts
I know I've had my share
And for a while
I know I had you there
Who carries the pain
For me to love again
I've Got No Right To Have It All

If time stopped in it's tracks
Is that what paradise might be
I'll cling like a drowning man
To my driftwood piece of memory
And where's the peace of mind
Among the debris left behind

This is the point
Where we act crazy or sane
We walk away now
Never to embrace again
I'll say God bless




And wish you happiness
I've Got No Right To Have It All

Overall Meaning

The song "I've Got No Right To Have It All" is a poignant and reflective piece that delves into the topics of love, loss, and longing. The singer first expresses his desire for his former lover to lead a fulfilled life and wishes for her new partner to love her as much as he did. However, he acknowledges that his hopes for her leaving her current partner for him are nothing more than a fantasy. The singer then contemplates the fleeting nature of life and the pain that comes along with it, and wonders if true peace can ever be achieved. The song concludes with the singer accepting the reality of their situation and bidding farewell to his ex-lover with warm wishes for her future happiness.


The song's lyrics are deeply introspective, and the use of vivid imagery and metaphors adds depth and emotional weight to the narrative. The line "And where's the peace of mind/ Among the debris left behind" is particularly evocative, conveying the singer's sense of despair and confusion at the aftermath of the relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

I wish you well
I hope you have a happy life


And darling keep in touch
Please stay in contact with me


And if he loves you
If you find love


I hope he loves you as much
I hope he loves you just as much as I do


It's just my fantasy
Thinking you will be with me is only wishful thinking


You leaving him for me
I imagine you will leave your current partner for me


I've Got No Right To Have It All
I don't deserve to have everything I want


Life's little gifts
Life's small pleasures


I know I've had my share
I have experienced many good things in life


And for a while
At one point in time


I know I had you there
I know I had your love once


Who carries the pain
Who will suffer the pain of my lost love


For me to love again
So that I can move on and love again


I've Got No Right To Have It All
I don't deserve to have everything I want


If time stopped in it's tracks
If time stopped moving forward


Is that what paradise might be
Would that be paradise?


I'll cling like a drowning man
I will hold on as if my life depended on it


To my driftwood piece of memory
To my memories that bring me comfort


And where's the peace of mind
But where is the peace of mind


Among the debris left behind
Amongst the remains of what was once good


This is the point
This is where


Where we act crazy or sane
Where we may act irrationally or rationally


We walk away now
Sometimes it is better to walk away


Never to embrace again
And never to hug again


I'll say God bless
I will wish you well


And wish you happiness
And wish for you to be happy


I've Got No Right To Have It All
I don't deserve to have everything I want




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Comments from YouTube:

Clay Wisner

This is such a treasure. It makes me sad that more folks don’t know Richard Thompson. So many great songs, so much great musicianship.

Sunil Oberoi

AMAZING AND DANNY THOMPSONS BASS PLAYING IS WONDERFUL.

John Allen

Just beautiful..........

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