History Music / RichardThompson

* DrunkenSong: Brutally subverted by "God Loves A Drunk," which paints both alcoholism and suburban conformity as tragically bleak. Pity the audience [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-noSz2XsIY here]], a year before the release of the studio version, who hoot enthusiastically when he asks whether there are any drunks in the audience.

* DomesticAbuse: "She Twists The Knife Again" is sung from the perspective of a man in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship.

** The protagonist of "Fergus Liang" may technically be a [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed fictional character]], but he sure sounds like a certain [[DonaldTrump future U.S. President]]:

* DrunkenSong: Subverted by "God Loves A Drunk".

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began with the British FolkRock group Music/FairportConvention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers, including Music/DavidByrne, Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.

** "Put It There Pal" is about an [[WeUsedToBeFriends former friend]] who betrayed Thompson somehow.

* BreakupBreakout: Although he's not a superstar, Thompson is the best-known Music/FairportConvention member after Sandy Denny.

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: His celebrated version of "[[Music/BritneySpears Oops I Did It Again]]". Having the song sung by a middle-aged man makes the protagonist sound way more hypocritical and unsympathetic.

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began with the British FolkRock group Music/FairportConvention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers including Music/DavidByrne, Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.

* ConceptAlbum: 1000 Years of Popular Music, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin popular songs from the last 1,000 years]] played in Richard Thompson's own unique style.

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: His celebrated version of "Oops I Did It Again". Having the song sung by a middle-aged man makes the protagonist sound way more hypocritical and unsympathetic.
** His version of "Hey Joe" makes you realise that "Hey Joe" is an old-fashioned murder ballad -- even though he plays it like Hendrix, it ends up sounding like a Richard Thompson song.

* DualMeaningChorus: Seen in "Shane & Dixie". The chorus 'Fame and Love will never die' is sung at first as a quote from the titular Shane as a total sincere expression of his beliefs. By the end of the song (When Shane has committed suicide and Dixie has got married to a journalist) the lyrics become ironic as Shane is totally forgotten.

* IntercourseWithYou: "Hokey Pokey", a song supposedly about ice cream with lyrics such as 'Some like it round/Some like it fat/Some like a poke or two'
* LyricalDissonance: Most times the downbeat nature of the music will match the lyrics, but he will often produce an upbeat tune such as "Wall of Death" (a jolly number about a mutually destructive couple) "Read About Love" (a upbeat song about a boy who ends up raping a girl through misconceptions about sex) and "Bad Monkey" (a bouncy little ditty about drug addiction).

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Sergeant [=McCrae=] in '1952 Vincent Black Lightning', who summons Red Molly to the bedside of her dying lover.
* SelfDeprecation: In concerts he will often announce he will play a medley of his 'hits'..and then stand in silence for a minute.
* TakeThat: 'Mother Knows Best' was an attack on Margaret Thatcher. 'Fast Food Restaurant' was a dig at [=McDonalds=].
** I'm convinced "When We Were Boys At School"--a depressingly-familiar tale of a bullied child, but who grows up to become a merciless leader--is about Tony Blair.
** His latest album features 'Here Comes Geordie' - a particularly blatant TakeThat against Sting (born Gordon Sumner).
** See also 'I Agree With Pat Metheny', a live-only tune savaging (in hilarious fashion) Kenny G for overdubbing himself onto Louis Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World.' "He does play sharp, but let's be fair/ He has such lovely crinkly hair."
** 'Blackleg Miner' is an old-school pro-union anti-scab song, which culminates in the blackleg miner getting, well, killed.
* WorkingWithTheEx: ''Shoot Out The Lights'', made during the dissolution of his marriage to Linda. The supporting tour had Linda tripping him as he went onstage, and guitarist and fellow FairportConvention alum Simon Nicol, who was a member of their backing band, said that the first thing he would do was look for the exits. These concerts, which were apparently incredible and featured some the best performances in either Richard or Linda's career, are [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes commercially unavailable]] because the acrimony behind the scenes brings back bad memories for both of them.
** In the 2000's, their relationship as friends had been repaired enough that Richard appeared on Linda's 2002 album ''Fashionably Late''. In 2010, the two performed their first show together since 1982 at a tribute to their recently deceased mutual friend, folk singer Kate [=McGarrigle=], at the Meltdown Festival.
** They've continued to work with each other into the 2010s. "Love's for Babies and Fools", a song from Linda's 2013 album ''Won't Be Long Now'' features only the two of them -- it's effectively the only Richard & Linda Thompson recording since ''Shoot Out the Lights''.

* WorkingWithTheEx: ''Shoot Out The Lights'', made during the dissolution of his marriage to Linda. The supporting tour had Linda tripping him as he went onstage, and guitarist and fellow FairportConvention alum Simon Nicol, who was a member of their backing band, said that the first thing he would do was look for the exits. These concerts, which were apparently incredible and featured some the best performances in either Richard or Linda's career, are [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes commercially unavailable]] because of the sheer acrimony behind the scenes brings back bad memories for both of them.

* WorkingWithTheEx: ''Shoot Out The Lights'', made during the dissolution of his marriage to Linda. The supporting tour had Linda tripping him as he went onstage, and guitarist and fellow FairportConvention alum Simon Nicol, who was a member of their backing band, said that the first thing he would do was look for the exits.

* EpicRocking: The compilation album ''(guitar, vocal)'' includes "Night Comes In" at 12:34 and "Calvary Cross" at 13:27

* CreatorCouple: The years with Linda Thompson.

* NoHitWonder: No entries on either the US or UK pop charts. He does however, have two entries on the Billboard Alternative chart ("Turning of the Tide" made #30 in 1988 and "It Feels So Good" made #15 in 1991).

* OldShame: Largely averted, his first solo composition was the song 'Meet on The Ledge' for Fairport Convention. The song is still regarded as their unofficial anthem and is played as a concert closer to this day.
* PopStarComposer: Wrote and performed the scores for the 1991 drama ''Sweet Talker'' and the 2005 documentary ''Film/GrizzlyMan''.

* EpicRocking: "Shoot Out the Lights" and "Night Comes In" among others.

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began with the British FolkRock group Music/FairportConvention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers including Music/DavidByrne, Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.TalkingHeads

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began with the British FolkRock group Music/FairportConvention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers including [[Music/TalkingHeads David Byrne]], Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began as songwriter for the British FolkRock group Music/FairportConvention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers including [[Music/TalkingHeads David Byrne]], Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began as songwriter for the British FolkRock group Music/Fairport Convention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers including [[Music/TalkingHeads David Byrne]], Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.

Richard Thompson is a highly regarded British singer/songwriter/guitarist, admired for his virtuosity and his incredibly dark but brilliant lyrics. He began as songwriter for the British Folk-Rock group Fairport Convention before striking out as a solo artist (recording a number of albums with his then wife Linda). Highly regarded amongst his peers including [[Music/TalkingHeads David Byrne]], Music/ElvisCostello and Christy Moore, he has somehow avoided commercial success.