Richard Thompson famous quotes

I think it's absolutely possible to write a song and go somewhere where no one's been before, uncharted territory. In terms of content, I see limitations where there should be none. I know there are things I wouldn't write about, but that shouldn't be the case. You should be able to make a song out of anything, out of any situation.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Writing #Thinking

Every day I'll wear your memory like a favorite shirt upon my back
-- Richard Thompson

#Memories #Grieving #Shirts

I'm glad there are a lot of guitar players pursuing technique as diligently as they possibly can, because it leaves this whole other area open to people like me.
-- Richard Thompson

#Player #Guitar #People

To stand up on a stage alone with an acoustic guitar requires bravery bordering on heroism. Bordering on insanity.
-- Richard Thompson

#Guitar #Bravery #Insanity

What I wanted to hear didn't exist, so it was necessary for me to go out and create it.
-- Richard Thompson

#Wanted

There's a part of me that wishes I'd never said one single solitary word on any subject publicly. Then I could have been the tortured poet, and there's so much mileage in that. But it's too late to stop now.
-- Richard Thompson

#Wish #Too Late #Poet

When you stand up acoustic in front of an audience, you really are a man without any clothes on. And that can be fun - it depends how much of an exhibitionist you are, I suppose. I quite enjoy it.
-- Richard Thompson

#Fun #Men #Clothes

I think the reason kids get into drugs and smoking is they don't have anything to do.
-- Richard Thompson

#Kids #Thinking #Smoking

I'm sure every pattern has been covered, but it's nice to think you might dwell on some that other people don't.
-- Richard Thompson

#Funny #Inspiring #Nice

I try to make songs visual and tactile to kind of put you into the action.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Trying #Action

As the writer, you're always a presence in the song. If you get close to what human beings are like, you're writing about common experience. We all do much the same things, so if you nail somebody, then you've also nailed yourself.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Writing #Experience

Will there be any bartenders up there in Heaven, will the pubs never close?
-- Richard Thompson

#Death #Heaven #Bartender

I think you can refine what you do, and become more consistent. And you write better songs that have a better shape and a better feeling. You evolve into and out of things, and go through stages, but, ultimately, you do improve.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Writing #Thinking

They came in the thousands from the whole human race to pay their respects at his last resting place.
-- Richard Thompson

#Race #Lasts #Pay

But music can save your life sometimes. It probably saved me from working in a bank or something. That's a kind of salvation right there.
-- Richard Thompson

#Kind #Sometimes #Salvation

All audiences should be slightly off balance.
-- Richard Thompson

#Balance #Should #Audience

I have to remind myself not to set boundaries.
-- Richard Thompson

#Boundaries

I like the idea of playing in unison with yourself.
-- Richard Thompson

#Ideas #Unison

I probably wrote three-quarters of the songs without an instrument in my hands.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Hands #Three

I try to look for the good in everybody, regardless of the way they're labeled.
-- Richard Thompson

#Trying #Way #Looks

Nothing is plainer than that, if the principles of the church of Rome prevail here, our Constitution would fall. The two cannot exist together. They are in open and direct antagonism with the fundamental theory of our government and of all popular government everywhere.
-- Richard Thompson

#Fall #Rome #Two

I just like to entertain myself by sitting down and writing songs.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Writing #Sitting

There is in fact a controversy over Darwin's theory. Clearly both theories have religious implications. But this is not about God.
-- Richard Thompson

#God #Religious #Facts

Amplifying acoustic instruments more than a little is really cheating, and everything becomes a compromise.
-- Richard Thompson

#Cheating #Littles #Acoustics

It's amazing what some people read into songs.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #People

I'm always making a conscious effort to be viable and accessible.
-- Richard Thompson

#Effort #Conscious

It's fun to sing sad songs. And it's fun to listen to sad songs. Enjoyable. Satisfying. Something.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Fun #Sad Song

People want to hear about the extremes of human nature. They want things that are larger than their own lives, and more romantic, and not necessarily of their own experiences.
-- Richard Thompson

#People #Want #Human Nature

The thing I do, really, is a communication with audiences more than any achievement through records.
-- Richard Thompson

#Communication #Achievement #Records

Well, first of all it's entertainment. That stops us becoming too pretentious or thinking we're great artists.
-- Richard Thompson

#Thinking #Artist #Firsts

There are only three white blues singers -- Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them.
-- Richard Thompson

#Two #White #Three

I want people to come to my music without prejudice. I want them to get the music first. And who I am isn't that important. If they like the songs to me that's a good thing.
-- Richard Thompson

#Song #Who I Am #People

The best thing you've got going for you is individuality.
-- Richard Thompson

#Individuality #Individualism

You want the audience to be uncomfortable.
-- Richard Thompson

#Want #Uncomfortable #Audience