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.
It'll Be Me
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if you see something crawlin' across the floor
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
If you see a head peepin' from a crawdad hole
if you see somebody climbin' up a telephone pole
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
[bridge]
gonna look on the mountains
gonna search all the forests
and look in every tree
Well if you feel something heavy on your fishin' hook
and you see a funny face in your comic book
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
If you hear a voice callin' out in the night
if you see something hangin' from a lamppost bright
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
If you see someone lookin' in all the cars
if you see a rocket ship on its way to mars
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
[bridge]
gonna look in the cities
where the lights are blue
gonna search the countryside
and all the haystacks too
If you see a new face on your totem pole
if you find a lump in your sugar bowl
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
The song "It'll Be Me" by Richard Thompson is a love ballad in which the singer pledges to never give up on finding the love of his life. He promises to never stop looking for her, no matter where she may be or what form she may take. The lyrics are filled with whimsical and surreal imagery, which suggests that the singer is willing to look for his love in all sorts of unexpected places.
The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer is not afraid to take risks and venture into unknown territory in order to find his love. He imagines himself crawling across the floor like a bug, or peering out from a crawdad hole or telephone pole. The chorus reiterates his determination, promising that no matter where his love may be - on a mountain, in a forest, on a rocket ship to Mars - he will find her.
The bridge of the song provides a moment of respite from the feverish search for love. The singer promises to pause and appreciate the beauty of the natural world, as he looks for his love. He will search the oceans, the mountains, and the forests, and every tree.
Overall, "It'll Be Me" is a charming and whimsical song that celebrates the all-consuming power of love. The singer is willing to endure any hardship or adventure in order to find his true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well if you hear somebody knockin' on your door
If you hear a knock on your door, it's me who's looking for you.
if you see something crawlin' across the floor
If you notice something creepy crawling along the floor, it's me who's looking for you.
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
I'm searching for you, and I won't give up easily.
If you see a head peepin' from a crawdad hole
If you spot a head popping out from a crawdad hole, it's me who's searching for you.
if you see somebody climbin' up a telephone pole
If you see someone climbing up a telephone pole, it's me who's trying to find you.
[bridge]
I'll search everywhere to find you, from the mountains to the sea to the forests and trees.
Well if you feel something heavy on your fishin' hook
If something heavy gets hooked on your fishing line, it's me trying to get your attention.
and you see a funny face in your comic book
If you find a comical face in your comic book, it's me trying to make you laugh and smile.
If you hear a voice callin' out in the night
If you hear a voice calling out to you in the darkness, it's me searching for you.
if you see something hangin' from a lamppost bright
If you notice something hanging from a brightly lit lamppost, it might be me trying to get your attention.
If you see someone lookin' in all the cars
If you see someone searching through all the cars, it could be me looking for you.
if you see a rocket ship on its way to mars
If you witness a rocket ship flying to Mars, it's likely me searching for you.
[bridge]
I'll search high and low in the cities with the blue lights, and even in the countryside and haystacks.
If you see a new face on your totem pole
If a different face appears on your totem pole, it could be me trying to get your attention.
if you find a lump in your sugar bowl
If you discover a lump in your sugar bowl, it may be me leaving you a surprise message.
baby it'll be me and i'll be lookin' for you
I'm determined to locate you, and I'll keep looking until I find you.
Contributed by Aaliyah K. 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.