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.
Killing Jar
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My father was a judge, a solitary man
He beat me to cry, with the back of his hand
I played with my sisters, he said I played too rough
It seems to me son, I didn't beat you enough
You're no good. He said I'm no good
You're no good. He said "son, you're no good"
I went for my schooling and I faced the wall
"Tommy Burns" said the teacher, "can you hear me at all?"
I sweep down the hall ways, and I sweep up the grounds
And the boss he tells me that I'm late on my rounds
I'm no good. Oh they say I'm no good
I'm no good. They say I'm no good
I once had a songbird with a broken wing
I cried and I cried. Oh it never would sing
I once had a songbird. The apple of my eye
I put it in the killing jar just to watch him die
I once had a sweet heart. Caught her running around
I hit her with a log chain and I put her in the ground
I once had a sweetheart, oh a pretty little thing
I knelt in her cold grave and I took back my ring
I'm no good. They say I'm no good
I'm no good. You see I'm no good
I'm no good. They say I'm no good
I'm no good. I'm no good
Richard Thompson's song "Killing Jar" is a hauntingly honest portrait of a troubled man who has faced abuse and rejection at every turn in his life. The lyrics draw a clear picture of a man who has always been told he is no good, and has internalized this message to the point where he turns to destructive and violent behavior. The first verse speaks to the abuse the singer faced at the hands of his father, a judge who did not spare his own son from physical violence. The second verse describes the singer's journey through life, where he is constantly told he is no good, and even finds himself in a menial job that is demeaning to him.
The most disturbing verse in the song is the third one, where the singer talks about putting a songbird with a broken wing in a killing jar just to watch it die. This verse represents a metaphorical turning point in the song, where the singer goes from being a victim of abuse to a perpetrator of violence himself. The next verse talks about the singer's abusive behavior towards a woman he loved, culminating in her killing and his retrieval of her ring from her corpse. The repeated line "I'm no good" throughout the song shows the singer has come to accept the message that he is worthless, and is unable to break free from this cycle of abuse and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
My father was a judge, a solitary man
My father was a judge, who was often isolated and distant from those around him.
He beat me to cry, with the back of his hand
He was physically abusive towards me and caused me to cry frequently.
I played with my sisters, he said I played too rough
I enjoyed playing with my sisters, but my father thought that I played too roughly with them.
It seems to me son, I didn't beat you enough
My father believed that he didn't beat me enough, as a way of toughening me up and making me stronger.
You're no good. He said I'm no good
My father often told me that I was worthless and had no value.
I went for my schooling and I faced the wall
I had a tough time in school, and often found myself bored and uninterested.
"Tommy Burns" said the teacher, "can you hear me at all?"
My teacher often had to get my attention, as I was frequently distracted and not paying attention in class.
I sweep down the hall ways, and I sweep up the grounds
I worked as a janitor, and spent my days sweeping and cleaning the school.
And the boss he tells me that I'm late on my rounds
My boss often criticized me for not being efficient enough, and being late completing my cleaning duties.
I'm no good. Oh they say I'm no good
Many people have told me that I have no worth or value, and that I'm not good at anything.
I once had a songbird with a broken wing
At one point I had a small bird with a broken wing.
I cried and I cried. Oh it never would sing
I became very upset when the bird wouldn't sing, and was never able to enjoy it.
I once had a songbird. The apple of my eye
The bird was very important to me, and I loved it very much.
I put it in the killing jar just to watch him die
I killed the bird by suffocating it in a jar, just for the sake of seeing it die.
I once had a sweet heart. Caught her running around
I had a girlfriend who was unfaithful to me.
I hit her with a log chain and I put her in the ground
I killed her violently with a heavy chain and buried her in the ground.
I once had a sweetheart, oh a pretty little thing
The woman I killed was someone who I thought was very attractive and sweet.
I knelt in her cold grave and I took back my ring
After killing her, I went to her grave and took back the ring that I had given her as a sign of commitment.
I'm no good. They say I'm no good
I am often told that I am a bad person, and that I have no value.
I'm no good. You see I'm no good
I know that I am not a good person, and I have come to accept this about myself.
I'm no good. They say I'm no good
Despite my efforts to change, people still see me as a worthless and bad person.
I'm no good. I'm no good
I have come to accept that I am a bad person, and that there is little that can be done to change this fact.
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@davidwilliams4391
alone in a bedsit in Brighton UK in the 80's, listening to John peel I was introduced to this and thus Richard Thompson, was a pivotal moment in my life, thanks for this x
@ReapingInProgress
You're welcome, and yes, this is one of my favourite songs to listen to on my playlist, and so many people have no idea what I'm on about when I mention it, but after hearing it, 90% of my friends have turned round and said: That was brilliant.
@gubsak55
This is my favorite from the French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson album Invisible Means. It's amazing just how many of Thompson's songs that sends chills up your spine. I love it.
@absoluterefusal
And Frith's Lizard Tail, I think it was called.
@davidwilliams4391
wow, so just read through the comments, amazing, there we all were, so long ago, listening to late night radio before the days of mass communication (whilst no one is listening) and here we are quarter of a century later still listening to this master piece, stay safe lovely people
@butuh13
Such a great creepy song. I asked him to play it once and he just laughed and moved on. I think even he is creeped out by it. Thanks for posting.
@absoluterefusal
HHHHHH!!!! I was in one of the front rows once in Seattle and got the exact same response!
@Ze18613
I love Killing Jar, which must be one of his better songs from the last 25 years. And the verses "I once had a songbird. The apple of my eye/ I put it in the killing jar just to watch him die" must be one of the most chilling lines ever in music, if you take it literally or even poetically.
@michaelteret4763
Great song. I remember when this album came out, this song just blew me away.
@christopherhill1652
I have never heard it before, but just ordered a used CD the has it as the last track, it's due to be delivered today. I can"t wait to hear what else is on it!