Thompson's style is difficult to categorize, because his influences are varied. Growing up around folk music, he listened to a musical gamut that covered Hank Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke and gospel. As he fell in with other musical progeny, most notably close friend Rufus Wainwright, his sound developed into his own combination of country/western, rock, and his father's folk-rock.
Thompson played regular shows at Jon Brion's venue, Largo, in Los Angeles, while getting his first album contract together. He signed with Geffen who had big plans for him - but Geffen was soon after swallowed up by Virgin, who did not. In 2000 Thompson released his debut album, Teddy Thompson, which received much critical acclaim but little commercial success. He took a few years to tour and write before finally recording his second album on his own. While reviews for his first album were generally positive, the critics have gushed over his second album. Thompson has found his own sound and voice, although his family remains heavily involved in his music.
Thompson's fourth album, A Piece of What You Need was released in 2008. His fifth studio album, Bella, was released in 2011.
Don't Ask Me To Be Friends
Teddy Thompson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can we become like sister and brother
Darling I beg of you if our love must end
Ask me to forget you but don't ask me to be friends
After bein' the one that you took pride in
I just couldn't be the friend you confide in
If it's goodbye for us we'll never meet again
Wanting you so badly needing you like this
How can I just look at the lips that I used to kiss
If there's someone else don't let me see him
Cause I'll spend my life wishing I could be him
Darling I beg of you if our love must end
Ask me to forget you but don't ask me to be friends
The lyrics in Teddy Thompson's song "Don't Ask Me To Be Friends" express the pain and difficulty of trying to maintain a friendship after a romantic relationship has ended. The singer is pleading with their former lover not to ask them to be friends because it would be too painful and impossible to move on from their romantic feelings. The singer acknowledges the strong bond they have shared and questions how they could possibly become "like sister and brother" after everything they have been through.
The singer is also honest and vulnerable about their feelings, admitting that they still want and need their ex-lover, and that being around them would be torture. The singer asks their former lover not to subject them to seeing them with someone else, as it would only intensify their longing to be with them. The song is a raw and emotional representation of the struggles of moving on from a romantic relationship and trying to navigate a new type of connection with someone who was once so significant in your life.
Line by Line Meaning
After all we've been to one another
With all of the history we share and the experiences we've had together
How can we become like sister and brother
Why would we want to reduce our romantic relationship to something that is purely platonic?
Darling I beg of you if our love must end
If you are determined to break up with me, I implore you to make a clean break and not try to maintain an awkward friendship.
Ask me to forget you but don't ask me to be friends
I would rather move on and leave all of our shared experiences behind than try to pretend that we can maintain a friendship after our romantic relationship has ended.
After bein' the one that you took pride in
Having been the person that you boasted about and took pride in our relationship.
I just couldn't be the friend you confide in
I cannot imagine being the person you go to for emotional support and advice if our romantic connection has been severed.
If it's goodbye for us we'll never meet again
If we decide to end our relationship, it will be the end of our story together and we will not cross paths again.
Wanting you so badly needing you like this
The desire and need for your love, affection, and presence is overwhelming and difficult to ignore.
How can I just look at the lips that I used to kiss
Being around you without the ability to act on my romantic feelings is painful, especially when I remember the physical intimacy we once shared.
If there's someone else don't let me see him
Seeing you with another person would be unbearable and I cannot imagine how I could cope with that kind of emotional pain.
Cause I'll spend my life wishing I could be him
Knowing that someone else is experiencing the love and affection that I crave from you would be a haunting thought that I will never be able to shake off.
Writer(s): JACK KELLER, GERRY GOFFIN
Contributed by Owen I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.