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Al Bowlly’s in Heaven

[Richard Thompson]

Originally from Richard Thompson’s 1986 album Daring Adventures, this song is covered by Norma Waterson on her second solo album The Very Thought of You. She was accompanied by Danny Thompson, double bass, John McColgan, drums, Richard Thompson, electric guitar, and Martin Carthy, acoustic guitar

Norma Waterson commented in the The Very Thought of You sleeve notes:

With two exceptions the songs are in pairs, and each has a story attached. Those stories range from childhood memories evoked by Fred Astaire of twice a week visits to the cinema with what seems like my entire family set alongside the fantasies indulged by an ordinary man to mask the drudgery of his daily life, to the regret of Al Bowlly’s in Heaven for his premature death in an air raid contrasting to the pain of returning from war to the disappointment of peace.

Lyrics

Please find the lyrics for this song at Richard Thompson’s website.