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
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
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
What I wanted to hear didn’t exist, so it was necessary for me to go out and create it. – Richard Thompson
To stand up on a stage alone with an acoustic guitar requires bravery bordering on heroism. Bordering on insanity. – Richard Thompson
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
The thing I do, really, is a communication with audiences more than any achievement through records. – Richard Thompson
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
Amplifying acoustic instruments more than a little is really cheating, and everything becomes a compromise. – Richard Thompson
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
Well, first of all it’s entertainment. That stops us becoming too pretentious or thinking we’re great artists. – Richard Thompson
It’s fun to sing sad songs. And it’s fun to listen to sad songs. Enjoyable. Satisfying. Something. – Richard Thompson
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
I think the reason kids get into drugs and smoking is they don’t have anything to do. – Richard Thompson
