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.

Lovers' Lane
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

False hand in false hand
Down Lovers' Lane, we walked, we two
Love sold for fool's gold
Down Lovers' Lane, we walked, we two
On your back I'll climb
Or you climb on mine
Deception is the rule
Down Lovers' Lane

Fine friend, fine friend
I held such dreams in my caress
Fine airs, fine airs
The best of manners and address
On your back I'll climb
Or you climb on mine

Deception is the rule
Down Lovers' Lane

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Richard Thompson's "Lovers' Lane" seem to depict a situation where two people, who are not sincere with each other, walk down a path of deceit and dishonesty in their relationship. The "false hand in false hand" line suggests that the couple holds hands while faking their feelings towards each other. The second line "Love sold for fools' gold" is a metaphor for how the relationship is built upon something that is not genuine, and will ultimately lead to disappointment. The lust and superficiality of the relationship is emphasized when the singer states that "deception is the rule down Lovers' Lane."

The third and fourth lines imply a sense of physicality, where the couple may be more interested in the physical aspect of their relationship rather than an emotional connection. The phrase "on your back I'll climb, or you climb on mine" adds a sense of degradation and dehumanizes the people involved. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of a double life or façade that the couple is trying to uphold.

Overall, "Lovers' Lane" appears to be a commentary on how love can easily be faked, and how many relationships may involve two people who are not genuine towards each other. The song seems to suggest that relationships without honesty, trust, and respect are doomed to failure.

Line by Line Meaning

False hand in false hand
We held hands with insincere intentions

Down Lovers' Lane, we walked, we two
We took a stroll down a path of deceitful romance

Love sold for fool's gold
We believed our love was real, but it was worthless

On your back I'll climb
I will use you to achieve my selfish goals

Or you climb on mine
You will use me to achieve your selfish goals

Deception is the rule
We both know that lying to each other is expected

Fine friend, fine friend
We pretended to be close, but were never true friends

I held such dreams in my caress
I had unrealistic hopes for our relationship

Fine airs, fine airs
We put on a fake persona to impress each other

The best of manners and address
We acted polite and sophisticated, but it was all for show

Contributed by Adeline J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.