5 Stellar Heartbreak Ballads Written by Richard Thompson

He has been universally hailed as one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. But Richard Thompson has also stood out as one of the finest songwriters of his generation as well. Over his long career, he’s been especially adept at delivering love-gone-wrong ballads that can just tear your heart out in the best possible way.

Note how these songs touch on just about every era of his illustrious career. Here are five wonderful heartbreak ballads from Thompson’s songwriting pen.

“Withered and Died” from I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)

On their second album as a recording duo, the married couple of Richard and Linda Thompson hit an undeniable high point. “Withered and Died” stands out as one of the premium tracks on that masterpiece of a record. It’s great evidence of how Linda was such an instinctive interpreter of Richard’s material. The song mostly talks about the depth of the doldrums to which the narrator has sunk. It’s only as the song progresses that you find out the reason: Then I struck up with a boy from the West … Count one to ten and he’s gone with the rest.

“Dimming of the Day” from Pour Down Like Silver (1975)

Once again, here’s a song penned by Richard that would have been wonderful no matter who sang lead. But there’s something about the lived-in pain generated by Linda that dials up the heartbreak another few notches. The narrator in the song starts by listing all the ways in which she’s struggling without him. But then she turns to try and make sense of what happened: What days have come to keep us far apart? / A broken promise and a broken heart. Somehow, her undiminished hope is the devastating part: I’m living for the night we steal away / I need you at the dimming of the day.

“Waltzing’s for Dreamers” from Amnesia (1988)

Thompson’s solo career picked up with the same kind of heartfelt songwriting he had displayed with his ex-wife. And his touch with sad slow songs hadn’t diminished in the least. On “Waltzing’s for Dreamers,” the narrator associates that old one-two-three rhythm with the kind of sadness he’s been feeling. That particular dance is the only way that he knows how to deal with it: Oh just let me sway / While the sweet violins / And the saxophones play. In the end, he identifies completely with those dance steps: Waltzing’s for dreamers / And losers in love.

“Beeswing” from Mirror Blue (1994)

Thompson’s love of folk music, and his firm grasp on the form, have always been a big part of his approach. That’s true all the way back to his time in Fairport Convention, who were early torchbearers for the folk-rock genre. On “Beeswing,” he adds some medieval flourishes to the music to tell the story of a torrid love affair that runs aground. Problems arise when the narrator fails to honor his partner’s wishes to sustain a peripatetic lifestyle, even after she insisted she could live in no other fashion. Thompson’s ability to foreshadow the painful end will put a lump in your throat.

“Another Small Thing in Her Favour” from Electric (2013)

Every Richard Thompson album is a gem, as the guy just doesn’t know how to turn in a clunker. Electric, from 2013, is one of his best from the last few decades. The title makes it seem like it’s an all-out rocker of an album, and there’s certainly a lot of that. But there are also a few slow ones that add some variety. That includes the sweet closer “Saving the Good Stuff for You.” And then there’s “Another Small Thing in Her Favour,” whereby a jilted lover is still able to find some positive traits in his ex based on the small kindnesses she delivers while letting him go.

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