| "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Richard Thompson | |
| from the album Rumor and Sigh | |
| Released | May 1991 |
| Recorded | 1991 |
| Studio | Sunset Sound, Los Angeles and Konk Studios, London |
| Genre | Folk |
| Length | 4:43 |
| Songwriter(s) | Richard Thompson |
| Producer(s) | Mitchell Froom |
| Music video | |
| "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" on YouTube | |
"1952 Vincent Black Lightning" is a song by guitarist Richard Thompson from his 1991 album Rumor and Sigh. It tells the story of a thief named James and the girl Red Molly whom he charms with a ride on his 1952 Vincent Black Lightning motorcycle, which he bequeaths to her on his deathbed. In 2011 Time magazine listed the song in its "All TIME 100 Songs", a list of "the most extraordinary English-language popular recordings since the beginning of TIME magazine in 1923," praising it as "a glorious example of what one guy can accomplish with just a guitar, a voice, an imagination and a set of astonishingly nimble fingers."[1]
Despite not being issued as a single, the ballad became a fan favourite and is one of Thompson's most highly acclaimed solo compositions.[2] A live version of the song appears on Thompson's album Two Letter Words: Live 1994.
The band Red Molly, who has covered the song, takes its name from the lead female character in the song.[3]