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.
Pearly Jim
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My Tuscan villa's in hock
To Mister Pearly Jim
My wife and kids have scrammed
They say my phone is jammed
By Mister Pearly Jim
He dresses up in rags
They call him Pearly Jim
He'll show you Paradise
At least some place quite nice
They call him Pearly Jim
Why did you wait so long?
Can you help him sing his song?
'Alms for the poor,
Alms for the poor'
We need ketchup on our bangers and mash
This self-denial brings us out in a rash
I'm rolling dice for gin
I'm getting sliced too thin
By Mister Pearly Jim
I mortgaged my des. res
He needs a boost, he says
Does Mister Pearly Jim
He's got a compound down
The balmy side of town
The guards'll give you shits
He's got a pearly suit
For every new recruit
You'll feel so thrilled to bits
When he grits that pearly smile
Will you go that extra mile?
'Alms for the poor
Alms for the poor'
Chairman Mao's got a whole lot of thoughts
And R.D.Laing's got me tied up in knots
Does your conscience ever scream
Between the chaos and the dream
'Alms for the poor
Alms for the poor'
To save time just pay us here on the street
The whole universe will be our receipt
The song “Pearly Jim” by Richard Thompson is about the singer’s downfall due to his relationship with a shady character named Pearly Jim. The lyrics describe how Pearly Jim has taken everything from the singer, including his screenplay and Tuscan villa, and how he dresses in rags yet is wealthy. Jim offers his recruits paradise, though it is unclear what that means. The singer is in debt and desperate for money, so he rolls dice for gin with Jim, but he is losing and feeling more and more sliced thin.
The chorus repeats “Alms for the poor” and asks if the listener can help Jim sing his song. There is a sense of desperation and surrealism in the lyrics, as the singer's wife and children have left him and his phone is jammed by Jim. The mention of ketchup on bangers and mash and getting a rash from self-denial adds a touch of humor to the otherwise bleak lyrics. The line “the whole universe will be our receipt” adds a sense of existentialism to the song, suggesting that the characters are seeking something beyond mere financial gain.
Line by Line Meaning
My screenplay's on the block
I'm struggling to sell my work and make a living
My Tuscan villa's in hock
I've had to mortgage my luxurious home to pay off debt
To Mister Pearly Jim
To an unscrupulous person who goes by the name Pearly Jim
My wife and kids have scrammed
My family has left me due to my financial troubles
They say my phone is jammed
I'm being constantly harassed by Pearly Jim
He dresses up in rags
Pearly Jim disguises himself as a poor person
He's mister money bags
Despite his appearance, he has a lot of money and is greedy
They call him Pearly Jim
He goes by the name Pearly Jim
He'll show you Paradise
He promises to make your life better
At least some place quite nice
Even if it's not Paradise, he'll make it seem good
Why did you wait so long?
Why didn't you come to Pearly Jim for help earlier?
Can you help him sing his song?
Will you become one of Pearly Jim's followers?
'Alms for the poor,
Alms for the poor'
Pearly Jim begs for money for the poor as a disguise for his own greed
We need ketchup on our bangers and mash
We're not truly in need, just looking for luxuries
This self-denial brings us out in a rash
We're uncomfortable with pretending to be poor
I'm rolling dice for gin
I'm gambling to try and make some money
I'm getting sliced too thin
I'm losing too much money
By Mister Pearly Jim
Due to Pearly Jim's schemes
I mortgaged my des. res
I had to take out a loan on my desirable residence
He needs a boost, he says
Pearly Jim is always looking for new recruits to scam
Does Mister Pearly Jim
Asks if Pearly Jim has your loyalty
He's got a compound down
Pearly Jim has a large, well-guarded home
The balmy side of town
It's a nice area of town
The guards'll give you shits
The guards are tough and won't let you in easily
He's got a pearly suit
Pearly Jim has a luxurious and extravagant style
For every new recruit
For everyone Pearly Jim is able to convince to join him
You'll feel so thrilled to bits
You'll feel excited and privileged to be part of Pearly Jim's group
When he grits that pearly smile
When Pearly Jim uses his charm to persuade people
Will you go that extra mile?
Will you follow Pearly Jim no matter what?
'Alms for the poor
Alms for the poor'
Pearly Jim continues to beg for money for the poor to disguise his own greed
Chairman Mao's got a whole lot of thoughts
People have different theories and ideas about how to help others
And R.D.Laing's got me tied up in knots
I am unsure what to believe or do about my troubles
Does your conscience ever scream
Do you ever feel guilty for your actions?
Between the chaos and the dream
In the midst of my struggles and aspirations
'Alms for the poor
Alms for the poor'
Pearly Jim continues his facade of helping the less fortunate
To save time just pay us here on the street
To quickly help the less fortunate, give money to beggars on the street
The whole universe will be our receipt
Our actions will be seen and remembered by the universe
Contributed by Nathaniel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fastrelief
Thank you Sir! Fantastic song, now I can listen to this very good record in its entirety. Cheers!