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.

The Ballad of Easy Rider
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The river flows, it flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes that's where I want to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town

All he wanted was to be free
And that's the way it turned out to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down

Take me from this road to some other town

Flow river flow, past the shady trees
Go river go, go to the sea
Flow to the sea

The river flows, it flows to the sea
Wherever it goes that's where I want to be

Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town

Overall Meaning

"The Ballad of Easy Rider" is a song written by Richard Thompson that is best known by the cover version performed by Roger McGuinn for the Easy Rider soundtrack. The song is essentially about the idea of freedom and the desire to escape from the confines of life in search of something more meaningful. The lyrics present the river as a symbol of this search for freedom and convey a sense of longing to find a new meaning in life.

The opening lines, "the river flows, it flows to the sea, wherever that river goes that's where I want to be," suggest the idea of going with the flow, and being open to new experiences. The river represents the possibility of change and growth, and the desire to escape from the daily grind of life. The repeated refrain "flow river flow, let your waters wash down, take me from this road to some other town" suggests the yearning for adventure and the desire to explore new horizons.

Overall, "The Ballad of Easy Rider" is a poetic celebration of the human desire for freedom and the search for a more meaningful existence. It encapsulates the spirit of the counterculture movements of the 1960s and remains a timeless classic that continues to inspire listeners today.

Line by Line Meaning

The river flows, it flows to the sea
The river travels relentlessly towards the ocean

Wherever that river goes that's where I want to be
The singer desires to follow the river to its destination

Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
The singer requests the river to carry him away

Take me from this road to some other town
The singer yearns to escape his current surroundings

All he wanted was to be free
The singer longed for personal freedom

And that's the way it turned out to be
The singer's desire for freedom was fulfilled

Flow river flow, past the shady trees
The river meanders through the woodlands

Go river go, go to the sea
The river must continue its journey to reach its goal

Flow to the sea
The river's ultimate destination is the ocean

Wherever it goes that's where I want to be
The singer is committed to following the river's path

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER MC GUINN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Ken Soehn

on Love in a Faithless Country

32w

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.