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.
Where
Richard Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boys, they look so fine
Dressed up in green velvet
Their silver buckles shine
Soon they'll be bleary eyed
Under a keg of wine
Down where the drunkards roll
See that lover standing
Staring at the ground
He's looking for the real thing
Lies were all he found
You can get the real thing
It will only cost a pound
Down where the drunkards roll
Down where the drunkards roll
There goes a troubled woman
She dreams a troubled dream
She lives out on the highway
She keeps her money clean
Soon she?ll be returning
To the place where she's the queen
Down where the drunkards roll
Down where the drunkards roll
You can be a gambler
Who never drew a hand
You can be a sailor
Who never left dry land
You can be Lord Jesus
All the world will understand
Down where the drunkards roll
Down where the drunkards roll
In Richard Thompson's song "Where's Home?" the singer expresses a deep sense of displacement and longing for a place to call home. The lyrics reflect the sentiment that life is full of twists and turns, and despite all the roads traveled, there is still a search for a sense of belonging. The line "I've been so long away, I'll make it back someday" is particularly poignant, signaling a realization that home is not just a physical place but also a state of mind.
Thompson uses repetition throughout the song, asking "Where's home?" multiple times to emphasize the unraveling feeling of being lost in the world. The idea of change is also prevalent in the lyrics, with the singer describing how the signs and street names have shifted, leaving them feeling increasingly disconnected from the past. Yet, despite all these challenges, the chorus highlights the singer's enduring faith that they still belong somewhere.
Overall, the lyrics of "Where's Home?" capture the universal longing for a sense of place and belonging, even in the face of profound displacement and change.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish this life of twists and turns would end
I am tired of the unpredictable nature of life that always seems to throw me off course.
And I could find my way back home again
If only I could find myself in a place of comfort and familiarity once again.
But where's home? But where's home?
Despite my yearning to return to a place of belonging, I am not even sure where that place is anymore.
I've been so long away
It has been far too long since I have felt a true sense of belonging.
I'll make it back someday
I am hopeful that I will eventually find my way back to a place where I belong.
And however many roads I walk along
No matter how much I travel and explore, I cannot seem to find a place that feels like home.
I never find a place where I belong
I am constantly searching for a place of belonging, but it always seems just out of reach.
I've got no place to be
I feel lost and without a sense of purpose or direction.
I'm like a refugee
My situation is similar to that of a person who has been displaced from their homeland and is now searching for a new place to call home.
I used to know the street
There was a time when I was familiar with my surroundings and felt a true sense of belonging.
Someone changed the name
But now everything has changed and I no longer recognize the place that once felt like home.
Signpost turned around
It is as though the universe has conspired against me, making it even harder to find my way back to a place of belonging.
Nothing looks the same
Everything has changed, and I feel lost and disoriented.
But I belong somewhere
Despite my struggles, I am confident that there is a place out there where I will finally belong.
I stare at endless walls, pace endless floors
I spend most of my time feeling trapped and restless, unable to find any sense of peace or stability.
I lie in endless beds, slam endless doors
No matter where I go or what I do, I cannot seem to escape my feelings of displacement and restlessness.
But where's home? Where's home?
Despite everything, I am still searching for that elusive place called home.
Where's home?
My journey in search of a place to call home continues, but I have yet to find it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juliebiddle1636
I've always loved this song but I felt it needed another verse, so in the spirit of the "folk process" I've written one.
Come down young James, said Red Molly, it's your 17th year
There's breakfast on the table and a story to hear
I'll tell you of your father's last night in this world
Before I was your Mother, just a red headed girl
He wasn't any saint and he died just as he lived
He had one precious treasure in his life to give,
And she took young James outside
And gave him his father's Vincent to ride!
@dgnorwich1205
As a person who has played guitar for almost 60 years (I'm 70 now), RT's performance is truly humbling. As a rider of motorcycles for almost 50 years, I can't listen to the lyrics without a tear coming to my eye. This is simply one of the finest ballads performed by one of the finest guitar players of all time. Thank you, Richard.
@leadme2thebliss21
It's beyond me why RT is not in the Rock & Roll HOF yet but someone like Eminem is? That is totally absurd and makes zero logical sense.
@edmerkel2407
Brother you said it all, I'm 73, have three guitars, and I don't have these notes on any of them!
@leemac1659
I'm 75, been playing over 50 years. If I could play 1/10 as good as this, I'd die a happy man.
@curse4316
Only temporary are the follies of man😊
@speeddemon9555
in my humble opinion, this is one of the best songs ever written.
@ericbloss7032
My opinion too
@MrRonk55
"In my opinion, there's nothing in this world like a '52 Vincent and a red-headed girl".
@speeddemon9555
@@MrRonk55 i have two red headed sisters, with tempers, so i agree to disagree.
@Noitisnt-ns7mo
@@speeddemon9555 Better than one two headed sister. Although that probably would have been quite popular with the lefty's of our equal rights cancel cultures.