Chords for Richard Thompson Newsnight Part 1
Tempo:
135.3 bpm
Chords used:
D
F
A
G
Bb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
He's a British Bob Dylan, a hugely talented singer-songwriter who provided the music for Werner Herzog's new film, Grizzly Man.
He started out with Fairport Convention, whose 60s album Legion Leaf has just been voted the most influential folk album of all time.
[D] Robin Denzler reports on the folk revival and why it's hot.
[A]
[D] Let [A] me ride on the wall of death one more time
Let [Gbm] me ride on the wall [D] of death one [E] more time
Richard [D] Thompson is one of the great British originals.
Not a household name [E] may be, but he has a large, devoted cult [A] following.
Let me [Gbm] take [D] my chances on [A] the wall of
[D] [A] death
But he's a hard man to pin down.
We'll kind of go where the crazy [D] people are [A] talking
His bleak or darkly [Gb] humorous songs often [D] echo traditional styles.
After all, [E] he was a pioneer of British folk rock while still a [A] teenager.
[D]
So I might amuse you, [E] I might confuse [A] you
But let me take [D] my chances on [A] the wall of death
Richard has written some fantastic songs.
[Eb] I mean, he has contributed to the canon of British contemporary songwriting.
He's brought a feeling of the earth and the tradition to it.
That's a Vincent Black Lightning,
[Bb] 1952
I won't call him the English Bob Dylan because I might as well call Bob Dylan the [Cm] American Richard Thompson.
[F]
[Cm] [F]
Like Dylan, Thompson has refused to stick to one style.
He's also one of the most distinctively British of rockers and an inspired guitarist.
[G]
[F] [G] Richard is a [F] student of music.
He can mimic styles, but he does so much more than mimic styles.
He can get inside them and create something that is particularly his own.
He's the only rock guitar hero that doesn't play any blues.
Because he's like, to me, it's because he's like Django Reinhardt or somebody or Big Spider Beck.
He's one [Em] of those white [Bm] players who [G] isn't apologetic about how white he is.
And he's not trying to sound black.
Record companies [Dm] find it hard to promote those who leap between different styles.
But Richard Thompson is at long last getting wider [F] recognition [G] from the folk scene.
[D]
[Dm]
Folk music is deemed to be back in fashion.
And these days it's [N] certainly not embarrassing to be seen at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Far from it.
When Brad and Angelina, Jamie and Jules and Pete and Kate are enjoying a snifter in the evening.
Where once upon a time they might have talked about Jimmy Shoo's shoes or the Cabela or something like that.
Now arguments rage about Dadgad Tuning and which is the best Pentangle album.
It's the folk scene celebrity bash of the year with an unexpected guest list.
Aware that a whole batch of new bands are influenced by traditional music.
Among those handing out the awards, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
So it's a special pleasure for me to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Thompson.
I'm not a folk singer but the word folk is very floppy.
A loose word that means different things to different people.
I suppose I have traditional connections.
So I'm like a singer songwriter with traditional roots.
So I almost qualify.
Being called a folky and appearing at awards like that doesn't upset you?
I think it's almost fashionable to be called a folky again.
I think these things go in cycles.
People seem to need some connection to their roots every now and then.
Or need to be reminded of who they are and where they come from.
As the world becomes [Fm] increasingly [C] one world.
[F] [A] [Bb]
[F] She stabs for [Bb]
breaking.
[Dm] Walt sings for [G]
dreamers.
[C] And losers [F] in [Bb]
love.
His [F] songs are often very, very sad.
Even the [Bb] gentle Walt sings for dreamers is about loss and loneliness.
[Dm] Walt sings for [G] dreamers.
And [C] losers [F] in love.
[D] It's quite depressing.
[Bb] [G] I think when you come out of the folk tradition.
The songs are about murder and battles.
People [F] getting their heads chopped off [N] and incest.
People being carried off by the fairies.
It's pretty dark stuff.
To me dark is normal.
And pop is trivial.
So if I'm judged by the pop audience.
They might think it on the dark side.
He started out with Fairport Convention, whose 60s album Legion Leaf has just been voted the most influential folk album of all time.
[D] Robin Denzler reports on the folk revival and why it's hot.
[A]
[D] Let [A] me ride on the wall of death one more time
Let [Gbm] me ride on the wall [D] of death one [E] more time
Richard [D] Thompson is one of the great British originals.
Not a household name [E] may be, but he has a large, devoted cult [A] following.
Let me [Gbm] take [D] my chances on [A] the wall of
[D] [A] death
But he's a hard man to pin down.
We'll kind of go where the crazy [D] people are [A] talking
His bleak or darkly [Gb] humorous songs often [D] echo traditional styles.
After all, [E] he was a pioneer of British folk rock while still a [A] teenager.
[D]
So I might amuse you, [E] I might confuse [A] you
But let me take [D] my chances on [A] the wall of death
Richard has written some fantastic songs.
[Eb] I mean, he has contributed to the canon of British contemporary songwriting.
He's brought a feeling of the earth and the tradition to it.
That's a Vincent Black Lightning,
[Bb] 1952
I won't call him the English Bob Dylan because I might as well call Bob Dylan the [Cm] American Richard Thompson.
[F]
[Cm] [F]
Like Dylan, Thompson has refused to stick to one style.
He's also one of the most distinctively British of rockers and an inspired guitarist.
[G]
[F] [G] Richard is a [F] student of music.
He can mimic styles, but he does so much more than mimic styles.
He can get inside them and create something that is particularly his own.
He's the only rock guitar hero that doesn't play any blues.
Because he's like, to me, it's because he's like Django Reinhardt or somebody or Big Spider Beck.
He's one [Em] of those white [Bm] players who [G] isn't apologetic about how white he is.
And he's not trying to sound black.
Record companies [Dm] find it hard to promote those who leap between different styles.
But Richard Thompson is at long last getting wider [F] recognition [G] from the folk scene.
[D]
[Dm]
Folk music is deemed to be back in fashion.
And these days it's [N] certainly not embarrassing to be seen at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Far from it.
When Brad and Angelina, Jamie and Jules and Pete and Kate are enjoying a snifter in the evening.
Where once upon a time they might have talked about Jimmy Shoo's shoes or the Cabela or something like that.
Now arguments rage about Dadgad Tuning and which is the best Pentangle album.
It's the folk scene celebrity bash of the year with an unexpected guest list.
Aware that a whole batch of new bands are influenced by traditional music.
Among those handing out the awards, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
So it's a special pleasure for me to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Thompson.
I'm not a folk singer but the word folk is very floppy.
A loose word that means different things to different people.
I suppose I have traditional connections.
So I'm like a singer songwriter with traditional roots.
So I almost qualify.
Being called a folky and appearing at awards like that doesn't upset you?
I think it's almost fashionable to be called a folky again.
I think these things go in cycles.
People seem to need some connection to their roots every now and then.
Or need to be reminded of who they are and where they come from.
As the world becomes [Fm] increasingly [C] one world.
[F] [A] [Bb]
[F] She stabs for [Bb]
breaking.
[Dm] Walt sings for [G]
dreamers.
[C] And losers [F] in [Bb]
love.
His [F] songs are often very, very sad.
Even the [Bb] gentle Walt sings for dreamers is about loss and loneliness.
[Dm] Walt sings for [G] dreamers.
And [C] losers [F] in love.
[D] It's quite depressing.
[Bb] [G] I think when you come out of the folk tradition.
The songs are about murder and battles.
People [F] getting their heads chopped off [N] and incest.
People being carried off by the fairies.
It's pretty dark stuff.
To me dark is normal.
And pop is trivial.
So if I'm judged by the pop audience.
They might think it on the dark side.
Key:
D
F
A
G
Bb
D
F
A
He's a British Bob Dylan, a hugely talented singer-songwriter who provided the music for Werner Herzog's new film, Grizzly Man.
He started out with Fairport Convention, whose 60s album Legion Leaf has just been voted the most influential folk album of all time.
[D] Robin Denzler reports on the folk revival and why it's hot.
[A] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ Let [A] me ride on _ the wall of death one more time
_ _ _ Let [Gbm] me ride on the wall [D] of death one [E] more _ _ time
_ Richard [D] Thompson is one of the great British originals.
Not a household name [E] may be, but he has a large, devoted cult [A] following.
Let me [Gbm] take [D] my chances on [A] the wall of _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [A] death
But he's a hard man to pin down.
_ We'll kind of go where the crazy [D] people are [A] talking _
_ _ His bleak or darkly [Gb] humorous songs often [D] echo traditional styles.
After all, [E] he was a pioneer of British folk rock while still a [A] teenager.
[D]
So I might amuse you, [E] I _ _ might confuse [A] you
But let me take [D] my chances on [A] the wall _ of death
Richard has written some fantastic songs.
[Eb] I mean, he has contributed to the canon of British _ contemporary _ songwriting. _
He's brought a feeling of the earth and the tradition to it.
That's a Vincent Black Lightning, _
_ [Bb] 1952
I won't call him the English Bob Dylan because I might as well call Bob Dylan the [Cm] American Richard Thompson.
[F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ [F]
Like Dylan, Thompson has refused to stick to one style.
He's also one of the most distinctively British of rockers and an inspired guitarist.
_ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] Richard is a [F] student of music.
He can mimic styles, but he does so much more than mimic styles.
He can get inside them and create something that is _ _ particularly _ his own. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ He's the only rock guitar hero that doesn't play any blues.
_ Because he's like, to me, it's because he's like Django Reinhardt or somebody or Big Spider Beck.
He's one [Em] of those white _ [Bm] _ _ players _ who [G] isn't _ apologetic about how white he is.
And he's not trying to sound black. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Record companies [Dm] find it hard to promote those who leap between different styles.
But Richard Thompson is at long last getting wider [F] recognition [G] from the folk scene. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Folk music is deemed to be back in fashion.
And these days it's [N] certainly not embarrassing to be seen at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Far from it.
When Brad and Angelina, _ Jamie and Jules and Pete and Kate are enjoying a snifter in the evening.
_ _ _ Where once upon a time they might have talked about Jimmy Shoo's shoes or the Cabela or something like that.
Now arguments rage about Dadgad Tuning and which is the best Pentangle album. _
_ _ It's the folk scene celebrity bash of the year with an unexpected guest list.
Aware that a whole batch of new bands are influenced by traditional music. _ _
Among those handing out the awards, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
So it's a special pleasure for me to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Thompson. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ I'm not a folk singer but the word folk is very floppy.
A _ _ loose word that means different things to different people.
I suppose I have _ traditional connections.
So I'm like a singer songwriter with traditional roots.
_ So I almost qualify.
Being called a folky and appearing at awards like that doesn't upset you?
I think it's almost fashionable to be called a folky again.
I think these things go in cycles.
People _ seem to need some connection to their roots every now and then.
Or need to be reminded of who they are and where they come from.
As the world becomes [Fm] increasingly [C] one world.
[F] _ _ _ [A] _ [Bb] _
_ _ [F] _ She stabs for [Bb]
breaking.
_ _ [Dm] Walt sings for [G] _
dreamers.
[C] And losers [F] in [Bb]
love.
His [F] songs are often very, very sad.
Even the [Bb] gentle Walt sings for dreamers is about loss and loneliness.
[Dm] Walt sings for [G] _ dreamers.
And [C] losers _ [F] in love.
[D] It's quite depressing.
[Bb] _ [G] _ I think when you come out of the folk tradition.
_ The songs are about murder and _ battles.
People [F] getting their heads chopped off [N] and incest.
People being carried off by the fairies.
_ It's pretty dark stuff.
To me dark is normal.
_ _ _ And _ pop is trivial.
_ So if I'm judged by the _ _ _ _ pop audience.
They might think it on the dark side.
He started out with Fairport Convention, whose 60s album Legion Leaf has just been voted the most influential folk album of all time.
[D] Robin Denzler reports on the folk revival and why it's hot.
[A] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ Let [A] me ride on _ the wall of death one more time
_ _ _ Let [Gbm] me ride on the wall [D] of death one [E] more _ _ time
_ Richard [D] Thompson is one of the great British originals.
Not a household name [E] may be, but he has a large, devoted cult [A] following.
Let me [Gbm] take [D] my chances on [A] the wall of _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [A] death
But he's a hard man to pin down.
_ We'll kind of go where the crazy [D] people are [A] talking _
_ _ His bleak or darkly [Gb] humorous songs often [D] echo traditional styles.
After all, [E] he was a pioneer of British folk rock while still a [A] teenager.
[D]
So I might amuse you, [E] I _ _ might confuse [A] you
But let me take [D] my chances on [A] the wall _ of death
Richard has written some fantastic songs.
[Eb] I mean, he has contributed to the canon of British _ contemporary _ songwriting. _
He's brought a feeling of the earth and the tradition to it.
That's a Vincent Black Lightning, _
_ [Bb] 1952
I won't call him the English Bob Dylan because I might as well call Bob Dylan the [Cm] American Richard Thompson.
[F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ [F]
Like Dylan, Thompson has refused to stick to one style.
He's also one of the most distinctively British of rockers and an inspired guitarist.
_ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] Richard is a [F] student of music.
He can mimic styles, but he does so much more than mimic styles.
He can get inside them and create something that is _ _ particularly _ his own. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ He's the only rock guitar hero that doesn't play any blues.
_ Because he's like, to me, it's because he's like Django Reinhardt or somebody or Big Spider Beck.
He's one [Em] of those white _ [Bm] _ _ players _ who [G] isn't _ apologetic about how white he is.
And he's not trying to sound black. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Record companies [Dm] find it hard to promote those who leap between different styles.
But Richard Thompson is at long last getting wider [F] recognition [G] from the folk scene. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Folk music is deemed to be back in fashion.
And these days it's [N] certainly not embarrassing to be seen at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Far from it.
When Brad and Angelina, _ Jamie and Jules and Pete and Kate are enjoying a snifter in the evening.
_ _ _ Where once upon a time they might have talked about Jimmy Shoo's shoes or the Cabela or something like that.
Now arguments rage about Dadgad Tuning and which is the best Pentangle album. _
_ _ It's the folk scene celebrity bash of the year with an unexpected guest list.
Aware that a whole batch of new bands are influenced by traditional music. _ _
Among those handing out the awards, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
So it's a special pleasure for me to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Thompson. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ I'm not a folk singer but the word folk is very floppy.
A _ _ loose word that means different things to different people.
I suppose I have _ traditional connections.
So I'm like a singer songwriter with traditional roots.
_ So I almost qualify.
Being called a folky and appearing at awards like that doesn't upset you?
I think it's almost fashionable to be called a folky again.
I think these things go in cycles.
People _ seem to need some connection to their roots every now and then.
Or need to be reminded of who they are and where they come from.
As the world becomes [Fm] increasingly [C] one world.
[F] _ _ _ [A] _ [Bb] _
_ _ [F] _ She stabs for [Bb]
breaking.
_ _ [Dm] Walt sings for [G] _
dreamers.
[C] And losers [F] in [Bb]
love.
His [F] songs are often very, very sad.
Even the [Bb] gentle Walt sings for dreamers is about loss and loneliness.
[Dm] Walt sings for [G] _ dreamers.
And [C] losers _ [F] in love.
[D] It's quite depressing.
[Bb] _ [G] _ I think when you come out of the folk tradition.
_ The songs are about murder and _ battles.
People [F] getting their heads chopped off [N] and incest.
People being carried off by the fairies.
_ It's pretty dark stuff.
To me dark is normal.
_ _ _ And _ pop is trivial.
_ So if I'm judged by the _ _ _ _ pop audience.
They might think it on the dark side.