Richard Thompson Offers the "Hand of Kindness" Quiz

Answer: Arthur Murray

The song is a simple ditty about a relationship that has broken down. For a change the singer isn't bemoaning the fact, but it is the former partner who is upset. Every time the singer is moving on, he receives a "Tear Stained Letter".

The lyric relating to the question is:
"It was three in the morning when she took me apart
She wrecked the furniture, she wrecked my heart
She danced on my head like Arthur Murray
The scars ain't never going to mend in a hurry"

Arthur Murray was an American dancer who conquered his shyness by learning to dance. He eventually opened a chain of dance schools across America.

Answer: The Clash

According to the song;
"My head was beating like a song by the Clash. It was writing cheques that my body couldn't cash"

Of the other options, Richard Thompson played for Fairport Convention 1967-71 before he started his solo career. Singer-songwriter Eric Bogle has written a song "Eric and the Informers" where he claims to have been in a rock and roll band of that name. The Pogues were a English/Irish, punk/folk band from London.

Answer: Say I loved you

The answer to this one is in the song's refrain;
"Oh how I wanted to. Oh how I wanted to.
To say I loved you. To say I loved you
Oh how I wanted to"

Not a huge variety of language, two different phrases used repeatedly constructing a five line chorus.
Richard Thompson has written songs called "Beat the Retreat" and "The Money Shuffle", the latter is a protest about the banking scandals and financial crisis of 2009. Another of his compositions is "Lotteryland", which is where the option of winning the lottery comes from.

Answer: Racehorse

I have noted elsewhere that songwriters seem to be enamoured of writing about racehorses. In this song the poor horse has a broken leg when the singer first purchases it. So he puts the leg in a sling, feeds the horse hay and the horse keeps howling all night. I conclude that one end that is burning is the muzzle, the source of the howling. It isn't mentioned but probably the tail end of the horse isn't too happy either. Poor horse, wants some painkillers and a cup of cocoa I reckon.
The chorus runs:
"Both ends burning, both ends burning.
That's how she got her name.
Both ends burning, both ends burning.
I never will sleep again"

In this song the horse enters the race and is a clear winner, no hanging around at the back here.

Another of Richard's songs about horses is "The Angels Took my Racehorse Away". Other singer-songwriters with similarly themed songs include Kate Rusby and Steve Knightley.

Answer: Double-Dutch

The answer is contained in the first two lines of the third verse;
"You tell me you're going to get in touch.
You send me a letter that reads like double-Dutch"

If the title is not enough of a clue as to the theme of the song, then the chorus which consists of "Is this the way it's supposed to be" twice, followed by the title should make it plain.
The entire song carries on in this unpromising theme, the last verse ending with the phrase:
"And when I die of shame I won't even know who to thank"
Pure negativity, yet it comes over as a rousing song.

Answer: Next week

If you are taking this quiz from the LP, you are out of luck here. This track only appeared on the CD version.
The opening line is "Get in the car, she said, and drive me into next week."
Where the lady offers to take the driver "where the wind don't whine", from where the song title comes.
When the driver finally tires and pulls over, the lady slips away. This reminds me of some urban legends which have a similar conclusion.

Answer: Listening

As stated in the refrain of "The Wrong Heartbeat", "You're listening to the wrong heartbeat". The message of the song appears to be the singer telling his partner that they are wrong about a relationship being over. Lyrics such as "You only want to see. Just the shell of me" and "You think you read me from the beating of the heart" only reinforce this theme.

Answer: Jonah

After a couple more lines detailing other offences committed by the singer, we get to: "And they called me a Jonah. It's a sin I survive."
The entire theme of the song appears to be a plea for help, the last verse ends with "Here's my neck on the line. You stretch out your hand, I stretch out mine". Followed by the chorus which starts with "Maybe just the Hand of Kindness".

Answer: Shiver

The song is called "Devonside" and the story starts with:
"By Devonside she was a-marching"
I have always seen this as being a protest march since the lady is carrying a banner. She then sees a boy, though clearly not a child and decides that he is the boy for her:
"she dropped her banner and seized her prize".
The song carries on with her love for him but of course as it is a Richard Thompson song the relationship is dysfunctional.
The end of every verse refers to the "shiver in her eyes".

One review I read, describes this as the darkest song on the album, this might be why it has always been my favourite.

Answer: Two Left Feet

The title "two left feet" appears several times during the song. From the question "how can you dance with two left feet?" to the last couplet "You could make my life complete. Just get rid of them two left feet".
A nice happy amusing and upbeat song - despite the not quite perfect relationship that is the subject.

Richard Thompson has written songs with titles "Cold Kisses" and "Mascara Tears" but they are not on this album.