Richard John Thompson Quotes

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

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Everything, Little, Cheating

• 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 John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Yourself, Human, Writing

• 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 John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Right, Kind

• I have to remind myself not to set boundaries.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Myself, Boundary, Remind

• I just like to entertain myself by sitting down and writing songs.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Myself, Writing, Down

• I like the idea of playing in unison with yourself.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Yourself, Idea, Playing

• I think the reason kids get into drugs and smoking is they don’t have anything to do.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Anything, Reason, Kids

• All audiences should be slightly off balance.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Balance, Audience

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

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Hands, Songs

• 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 John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Important, Without

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

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Kind, Try, Put

• I’m always making a conscious effort to be viable and accessible.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Effort

  Tags in Making, Conscious

• I try to look for the good in everybody, regardless of the way they’re labeled.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Look, Try, Everybody

• It’s amazing what some people read into songs.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Amazing, Read, Songs

• 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 John Thompson

  Topics in Nature

  Tags in Human, Lives

• It’s fun to sing sad songs. And it’s fun to listen to sad songs. Enjoyable. Satisfying. Something.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Sad

  Tags in Fun, Listen

• 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 John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Guitar, Whole, Often

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

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Through, Records, Audience

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

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Alone, Guitar, Stand

• What I wanted to hear didn’t exist, so it was necessary for me to go out and create it.

  Richard John Thompson

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Wanted, Create, Hear

Richard John Thompson (25)

Birth:	3rd April, 1949
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Musician, Singer

About

Richard John Thompson OBE is a British songwriter, guitarist and recording and performing musician. Highly regarded for his guitar techniques and strange, darkly-funny lyrics, Thompson was awarded the Orville H. Gibson award for best acoustic guitar player in 1991.

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Births

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Deaths

• 1943 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
• 1953 - Valentine de Saint Point
• 1958 - William Christopher Handy
• 1983 - Walter Reisch
• 1994 - Eugene Ionesco