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 Wrong Heartbeat
Richard Thompson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't think my love is something that you can play with
I'm not the one to spend the time of day with
You learn to hide love, you lock it up or find it gone
You think you need me, you think you read me
From the beating of my heart

But you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
Oh you're listening to the wrong heartbeat

You're listening to the wrong heartbeat
My love is strong

If you should see a tear, you won't see many
If you should hear me sigh, it's not for any
If you should greet me as I am walking along
You only want to see just the shell of me
You don't know the other part

Well, you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
Ah, listening to the wrong heartbeat
I said, you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
My love is strong

Oh you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
Oh listening to the wrong heartbeat
Oh listening to the wrong heartbeat
My love is strong

Don't throw your secrets where men will steal them
You got to hide them, you got to seal them
No matter what you try, you'll never take my love from me
And if you might think that you can move me
From the beating of my heart

Oh you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
Ah, listening to the wrong heartbeat
You're listening to the wrong heartbeat
My love is strong

Oh yes you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
You're listening to the wrong heartbeat
You're listening to the wrong heartbeat
My love is strong

You're, you're, you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
Oh listening to the wrong heartbeat

Oh you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
My love is strong

Overall Meaning

In Richard Thompson's "Wrong Heartbeat," the singer warns their lover not to play with their love. They reveal that they have learned how to lock up and hide their feelings, making it difficult for their partner to truly understand them. The lover believes they know the singer and can read them simply from hearing their heartbeat. However, the singer warns that their lover is listening to the wrong heartbeat and only seeing the surface level of their emotions. Despite their lover's misunderstandings, the singer's love is still strong and cannot be taken away.

This song is about the difficulty of truly understanding someone, even when you think you know them intimately. The singer warns their lover not to take their love for granted and to be cautious with their own feelings. The lyrics suggest that true love cannot be easily understood or manipulated, and that it is important to protect one's own emotions.

Overall, "Wrong Heartbeat" is a cautionary tale that reminds us that understanding and communicating with our loved ones takes time, patience, and honesty.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't think my love is something that you can play with
My love is not a toy that you can manipulate as you please

I'm not the one to spend the time of day with
I am not interested in wasting my time with someone like you

You learn to hide love, you lock it up or find it gone
People tend to keep their love hidden, or risk losing it

You think you need me, you think you read me
You believe that you understand me, or that you could not live without me

From the beating of my heart
From the rhythm of my heart

But you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
However, you are hearing a different love than mine

My love is strong
But my affection is firm

If you should see a tear, you won't see many
If you spot a tear, it would be an unusual experience

If you should hear me sigh, it's not for any
If you hear me sigh, it's not a sign of any specific emotion

You only want to see just the shell of me
You're interested in a surface-level, limited understanding of who I am

You don't know the other part
You lack knowledge of my inner, private self

Don't throw your secrets where men will steal them
Don't carelessly disclose your secrets to others who may exploit them

You got to hide them, you got to seal them
Instead, you should keep these secrets hidden and locked away

No matter what you try, you'll never take my love from me
Despite any efforts you might make, my love for you will not diminish

Oh you're listening to the wrong heartbeat
You are perceiving the incorrect love

My love is strong
But my affection stands firm

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Ken Soehn

on Love in a Faithless Country

33w

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.