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 ain
Richard Thompson Lyrics

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I've been gone so long, now ain't it a pity
Bending my back in this hell-hole city
Turning my ear from my friends and betters
Up to my neck in unread letters
And unwritten laws

Where I come from feeling is a crime
I thought I could take you in my own good time

Like a jumped-up fool, now down I climb
And I ain't going to drag my feet no more
I'm running to your side, gonna beat down the door
I ain't going to drag my feet no more, no more

Well I can't live without you but I've been trying
I've got a short-set fuse and two fists of iron
I did everything a man might do
To stop myself from pining after you
But it don't seem to matter no more

Penny's in my hand, now I'm going to spin it
Heads you win, don't you think for one minute
That I care for this bed with nobody in it
And I ain't going to drag my feet no more
I'm running to your side, gonna beat down the door
I ain't going to drag my feet no more, no more

Biding my time is driving me senseless
You worked yourself right under my defenses
You got me in a grip that I can't shake
All my feelings are about to break
And love never rains, it pours

I worked my hands 'til they couldn't spell your name
I rolled and I roared 'til I couldn't see your face
I leaned on the jukebox 'til I couldn't hear your voice
Put my head in the sand, but that won't do it

I swore I was above you, but that won't do it
And I tried and I tried, but that won't do it
And I ain't going to drag my feet no more
I'm running to your side, gonna beat down the door
I ain't going to drag my feet no more, no more

I ain't going to drag my feet no more

I'm running to your side, gonna beat down the door
I ain't going to drag my feet no more, no more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Richard Thompson's "I Ain't Going to Drag My Feet No More" speak of the desire to mend a broken relationship, despite attempting to resist the temptation of the relationship's pull. The singer of the song longs to be with their lover, but they've been gone for so long that returning feels like a failure. They have been trying to live without their lover, but the effort is proving fruitless. They've tried to suppress their feelings, but they've been unable to stop pining for their ex.

The phrase "I ain't going to drag my feet no more" is a metaphor for taking action to fix the situation. It means that the singer is no longer going to resist their desire to be with their ex. They are no longer going to hesitate, but instead will make the effort to repair their broken relationship. The line "love never rains, it pours" is an idiomatic expression, meaning that the singer's feelings have grown stronger, and they cannot be ignored.

The song's lyrics suggest that love can be painful but is ultimately worth the efforts put into it. The singer has been hurt by their previous actions, but they are willing to go to their ex and fix the relationship, regardless of the cost.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been gone so long, now ain't it a pity
It's unfortunate that I've been away for so long

Bending my back in this hell-hole city
I've been working hard in this awful city

Turning my ear from my friends and betters
Ignoring the advice of my friends and those wiser than me

Up to my neck in unread letters
I'm overwhelmed with letters I haven't read

And unwritten laws
And rules that haven't been clearly defined

Where I come from feeling is a crime
In my hometown, it's not acceptable to show emotions

I thought I could take you in my own good time
I believed I could win you over at my own pace

Like a jumped-up fool, now down I climb
I was too confident and now realize my mistake

And I ain't going to drag my feet no more
I'm done hesitating and will take action

I'm running to your side, gonna beat down the door
I'm going to make a grand gesture to show my love for you

Well I can't live without you but I've been trying
I know I need you, but I've tried to resist that feeling

I've got a short-set fuse and two fists of iron
I'm easily angered and can be violent

I did everything a man might do
I did everything in my power to move on from you

To stop myself from pining after you
To prevent myself from longing for you

But it don't seem to matter no more
None of that seems to have worked

Penny's in my hand, now I'm going to spin it
I'm leaving things to chance, flipping a coin to decide

Heads you win, don't you think for one minute
If the coin lands in your favor, don't think I'll back out

That I care for this bed with nobody in it
I don't want to be alone in this bed anymore

Biding my time is driving me senseless
Waiting around and doing nothing is making me crazy

You worked yourself right under my defenses
You've managed to break down my walls and barriers

You got me in a grip that I can't shake
You have a hold on me that I can't break

All my feelings are about to break
My emotions are on the verge of overflowing

And love never rains, it pours
Once you start feeling love, it can be overwhelming

I worked my hands 'til they couldn't spell your name
I worked non-stop until I was too exhausted to even think of you

I rolled and I roared 'til I couldn't see your face
I distracted myself until I couldn't even remember what you looked like

I leaned on the jukebox 'til I couldn't hear your voice
I tried to block out memories of you by listening to music

Put my head in the sand, but that won't do it
I tried to ignore my feelings, but that didn't work

I swore I was above you, but that won't do it
I pretended like I was better than you, but that didn't help

And I tried and I tried, but that won't do it
I made several attempts to forget you, but it's not working

I ain't going to drag my feet no more
I'm done hesitating and will take action

I'm running to your side, gonna beat down the door
I'm going to make a grand gesture to show my love for you

I ain't going to drag my feet no more, no more
I'm not going to delay any longer

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RICHARD THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@paulburgess8909

It doesn't get any better than that. What a musician! What an artist!

@jonathanh8187

I liked this version of the band, with Gregson and Collister.

@lyonslaforet

11y↑2

I agree. Richard Thompson is such an unfairly underrated guitarist and singer-songwriter.

@RC40298

11y↑4

One of the best concerts I've ever been to. Funny to see the film footage so many years later....like 28 years later. (yep, this was before videotape became widely used and well before digital recordings).