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 End Of The Rainbow
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Safe at your mother's breast
No lucky break for you around the corner
'Cause your father is a bully
And he thinks that you're a pest
And your sister she's no better than a whore.
Life seems so rosy in the cradle,
There's nothing at the end of the rainbow.
There's nothing to grow up for anymore
Tycoons and barrow boys will rob you
And throw you on the side
And all because they love themselves sincerely
And the man holds a bread knife
Up to you throat is four feet wide
And he's anxious just to show you what it's for.
Your mother works so hard to make you happy
But take a look outside the nursery door
There's nothing at the end of the rainbow.
There's nothing to grow up for anymore
And all the sad and empty faces
That pass you on the street
All running in their sleep, all in a dream
Every loving handshake
Is just another man to beat
How your heart aches just to cut him to the core
Life seems so rosy in the cradle,
But I'll be a friend I'll tell you what's in store
There's nothing at the end of the rainbow.
There's nothing to grow up for anymore
The lyrics of Richard & Linda Thompson's song The End Of The Rainbow opens with a bleak and sinister tone, addressing a child who is still safe in the comfort of their mother's arms but is destined for disappointment and heartache. The song paints a bleak picture of the emptiness of life and the reality that there are no guarantees of happiness or success in life. The child's father is a bully who sees the child as a pest, while the sister is labeled a whore. The chorus echoes the sentiment that there's nothing at the end of the rainbow, nothing to look forward to as one grows older because the world is full of tycoons, barrow boys, and the man who holds a bread knife up to your throat.
The song presents a world filled with despair, where every loving handshake is just an opportunity for someone to take advantage of you. The lyrics state that there's no escaping this reality, even for the dedicated efforts of a hardworking mother. Life may seem rosy in the cradle, but the harsh reality of growing up soon sets in, and the song does not shy away from the grimness of that reality. The song ends with a somber message: Life has little to offer, and we must be vigilant always to protect ourselves against the cruelty of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel for you, you little horror
I empathize with you, even though you might be terrible
Safe at your mother's breast
You might feel safe with your mother, but it won't last
No lucky break for you around the corner
You won't get a lucky break anytime soon
'Cause your father is a bully
This is because your father is a cruel person
And he thinks that you're a pest
He views you as an annoyance
And your sister she's no better than a whore.
Your sister has disgraceful behavior
Life seems so rosy in the cradle,
Life looks great when you're young, but it won't last
But I'll be a friend I'll tell you what's in store
I'll be your friend and let you know the truth
There's nothing at the end of the rainbow.
There is nothing good to look forward to in life
There's nothing to grow up for anymore
There's no point in growing up
Tycoons and barrow boys will rob you
Rich and corrupt people will take advantage of you
And throw you on the side
They will discard you like trash
And all because they love themselves sincerely
They do this because they love themselves above all else
And the man holds a bread knife
There are dangerous people out there
Up to your throat is four feet wide
They will harm you if given the chance
And he's anxious just to show you what it's for.
They are eager to use their power to hurt you
Your mother works so hard to make you happy
Your mother is trying her best to keep you happy
But take a look outside the nursery door
The world outside is not a happy place
All the sad and empty faces
People around you are unhappy and unfulfilled
That pass you on the street
You'll see this everywhere you go
All running in their sleep, all in a dream
Most people are living unfulfilling lives
Every loving handshake
Even a seemingly friendly gesture can be insincere
Is just another man to beat
Others are not necessarily your friend and might do you harm
How your heart aches just to cut him to the core
You might feel the urge to hurt others back
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard John (Gb1) Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Collins
such a gorgeous tune, beautifully played. yes it's dark...
Nick Drake
I love this song. It makes my life shine bright in comparison. I feel much better now.
NORTH Gallery
As Lou Reed's Berlin is one of my favourite all time LPs (They've Taken Her Children Away) and I knew that John Peel the now sadly departed UK DJ loved Richard & :Linda and promoted this in its time. I am still gobsmacked that something this powerful and dark came from that album. I love his music even more now after such a long time. Music covers many emotions and thank goodness it does. It has to. Artists are free to explore the gamut of human emotion and understanding and should. We live in a time of absolute access so why should we be censoring what we experience? Brilliant. Beautiful & Dark
Herding Lemurs
They should play this song as a public service, to help people get over the pablum and lies our society stuffs them with. The thing you get from it is real feeling.
шашалако әмпанадаc хихихи
I think This song describes in a very acurate way what life really is :c
Buzz Anderson
Thank god it's a bright sunny day outside because after listening to this I had to outside and look around.
John Peel
A great tune !!
Alan Moore
Blunt reality from a different era but amazing how we are sliding back towards this kind of thing driven by the return of the public school "elite" in high office. Thompson at his most perceptive and haunting...
T.C. Bramblett
what are you on about
John Roberson
You think you're goth but you will NEVER be Richard Thompson goth.
This might be the single most hopeless song ever written. Even Morrissey couldn't touch this.
I MEAN THIS AS A COMPLIMENT