Keep Your Distance is What he Says, But Don't

Street Name in Viseu

The morning is beautiful on this day. Some clouds are out but the sun is still shining. The air is still cool and there is a breeze that makes the day promising. With such an ideal morning a walk, a good long walk is required. 

Took the metro up four stops to start my walk. Picked the east side of the street to head home on. The sun will be hidden behind those high rises until noon. Needed to get up to pace so some music was in order. Took out my hearing aids and put them in their case. Retrieved my air pods and jammed them in my ears. Kicked up some Richard Thompson. Thompson's strong guitar playing and storytelling lyrics always set the perfect tone for a morning walk. 

The flow of songs was 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, I Misunderstood, I Feel So Good, Keep Your Distance, King of Bohemia and Beeswing. Didn’t take long with this as my cadence generator to get my pace up to my standard of 3 mph. Walked a mile and a half smiling most of the way. Thompson's music has a way of making every step feel connected to the world around me. His songs are the right companions for a morning like this, full of promise and quiet beauty.

Whenever I have an extended listen to Richard Thompson’s music I am always puzzled. I kid you not I believe he is one of the greatest guitarists of the rock era. More importantly his lyrics are sharp, sly, full of depth and insight and damn catchy to boot. So why is he not one of the best-selling and most famous singer-songwriters ever?

From Leif and Liege with Fairport Convention to Shoot Out the Lights with his ex-wife Linda and beyond he has consistently created excellent songs. Many, many other artists have covered his work. One of my favorites is Linda Ronstadt’s cover of King of Bohemia. Perhaps it is because his songs are too smart to be crafted into a “hit”. Maybe it is because he is a Muslim. Possibly it is because his voice is not his strongest instrument although it has improved over the years. I don’t know why he isn’t a star but if you give him a chance he will be on your Apple Music or Spotify playlistsregularly.

Here is a song that I love because of the lyrics. Enjoy. It is let us give Richard Thompson a chance day.